The Knights of Ren
by Panda Bear Lover 317
Summary: "He may have saved your life before, but he cannot now. Ben Solo is dead." Solana doesn't follow Kylo as First Knight just because he rescued her. She's loyal because she believes in him. The Knights' exile upon Snoke's order means nothing. It won't halt their efforts. And it won't stop them from returning to help bring balance to the Force once and for all. Consequences be damned.
1. Peacekeepers

**Hello readers! For those who don't know me, I'm Panda Bear Lover. I've written a handful of stories in the TRON community and one for Transformers. While I'm technically supposed to write a TRON fanfiction as my next project, well, _The Last Jedi_ came out and shoved previous ideas aside for this one.**

 **Cover art originated from the Tumblr page Basiliskos.**

 **So, this story was conceived when I asked myself what the heck is preventing Kylo's Knights from joining in this galactic battle for dominance? I don't believe that they're dead, so my rationale is that they're... preoccupied with something else. The entire book will be narrated by Kylo's First Knight complete with her thoughts, feelings, and even her own biases. At first I just focused on humanizing her and making her a three-dimensional character while only lightly developing her relationship with others but before I knew it, I also conjured up backstories for all six Knights that we will get to know soon. This story will portray the Knights in equal ways to be brutally monstrous yet also very caring and human.**

 **Here's the warnings: violence (obviously), minor body horror, language, and some suggestive adult themes (specifically... mentions of nudity and hints at sex - none of which will be graphic). These make my choice of a T rating quite suitable for the time being. There will also be some character death near the end. If we get to a point in my story where my rating is questionable for the content, shoot me a PM and let me know your thoughts.**

 **My last warning! There is some Reylo content in this story. I ship it, I write it. It's not quite at the forefront of the story since it's mostly about the Knights, but it'll be there. A lot of this story ending will likely diverge from canon depending on how Episode IX goes (maybe I'll borrow some content from it if this story is dragged out long enough for me to see it).**

 **My thanks to the Beta Reader I got to help with my writing:** **KumquatAssassin. She is amazing at spotting weird mistakes and is a wonderful person to bounce ideas off of. As it so happens, we both have jobs at the same workplace and once we both started talking fanfiction, we've become buddies! Funny how life works.**

 **THIS STORY BEGINS SHORTLY BEFORE THE EVENTS OF EPISODE VII! Without further ado, I present the Knights of Ren!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - Peacekeepers**

Something felt wrong. I couldn't shake the feeling since waking up, but today felt like a perfect time for the monotonous routine to change.

The Force was shifting, as if preparing for a significant change to occur.

I stood at the bridge of the Assault ship _Genesis_ with my hands clasped behind my back.

"Ma'am," I was broken from my reverie and turned from the large window to the Officer approaching me. "Our scanners have picked up a foreign ship in proximity. It appears they're heading in our direction this time."

"Not trying to maneuver past us?" I inquired. My voice carried a metallic edge to it as I spoke through my mask. "Are they pirates?"

"Not pirates or a patrol craft," the Officer said nervously. "It appears to be a Tauran Capital ship."

I clenched and unclenched one of my fists. "The Taurans are looking for a fight this time."

It's been five years since the Knights of Ren had been sent away. Supreme Leader Snoke had insisted on how important our mission was, but there's more at play than what he's claimed. The mission seemed an odd one to say the least - exile disguised as a long term imperative task. We're given an exemplary crew and assigned to patrol from outside our home galaxy in deep space. We've since monitored ship activity from neighboring galaxies - particularly the Taurus galaxy, which is governed by democracy. As far as the First Order is concerned, the Tauran government would likely side with the Resistance and the New Republic if word got out about our civil war. The last thing we want is for the affair to become an intergalactic conflict… especially when the First Order is near victory.

In the past couple of years, we've encountered several scout vessels and system patrol crafts that belonged to the Taurans. They would come around often to investigate our presence in the space akin to No Man's Land. Sometimes they would check in with us over communications like a friendly neighbor to inquire how our First Order crew fared, and others would ask why we imprison or destroy ships that attempt to leave our galaxy.

As time went on, their welcoming facade has faded and now their true intentions show. They know we're hiding something - we're not friendly about it - and the Taurans want to know what our business is about.

The last time we encountered our good neighbors, their ship tried to pass us and came far too close to our territory for comfort. I had commanded the Assault ship's pilots to engage, our gunners to lock on, TIE fighters to stand by, and the Communications Chief to patch in the other ship's Captain. I kept the exchange short and sweet to order the foreign ship's retreat and to stay away. The cherry on top was that my mask made my feminine voice sound just a bit deeper, and that metallic edge it provided had practically sold the intimidation factor. The ship had left without further ado.

This approaching Capital ship is the first legitimate sign that the "good cop, bad cop" game is up.

In hindsight, it looks like we've given them exactly the response they wanted from us. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that our job here is to buffer ship activity to and from our galaxy.

We're definitely hiding something; and if we're willing to kill anyone who tries to enter or leave our galaxy, then it's a serious situation. As a child raised by parents who had been members of the New Republic Senate, I had an inkling on what the Taurus galaxy's democracy was being fueled by.

Intel says the Taurus galaxy hasn't had war in a millenium. I'd imagine for their elected government to stay popular, they step onto their soap boxes and preach about other conflict and suffering beyond their domain. And the only way to make good on proving how great of an elected official they are, they'll spend their people's tax money and use significant resources to explore past their boundaries to interfere with other sovereignties. After all, nothing makes one look better to their own people than to be the perfect example of "big brother." It's very common political garbage: that the freedoms and opportunities people have in their system should be everyone else's right beyond and that everybody should bask in such a government's greatness.

The New Republic has done that - even the First Order is guilty of it sometimes. But what troubles me about the Taurans is that they're not pushing this agenda on a system scale within their galaxy, they're pushing this beyond their own domain entirely.

If their military high command is as smart as I presume, this may become a very real issue. After all, what better time is there to occupy another galaxy than when it's in turmoil and being ravaged by civil war?

Suddenly, the lights went out and all our engines shut down. Nobody on the command bridge moved or dared to make a sound until I decided to.

I slowly turned around as I sensed a tractor beam pulling our vessel onboard the Tauran Capital ship, and I glanced back at the officer whom I hadn't dismissed yet. "They're definitely looking for a fight," I said in a low, dangerous tone. Today was already not going the way I'd hoped. But I plan to make something clear to the Taurans for pulling this particular bold move in the vacuum of space between our galaxies - in neutral territory where all consequences are delivered unchecked. With no accountabilities.

The Knights of Ren are not very forgiving, especially when we're caught in a bad mood like this.

I could sense the tension in the crew and my fellow Knights. The First Order officers are nervous and afraid, but stiffly try to show nothing outward. It's clear that they're used to being in total control of their enemy and not put in a vulnerable situation like this. The Knights on the other hand are just as irritated as I, and have been itching for a fight lately.

I reached out with the Force in a way I rarely did. I focused on the hundred something minds that were onboard, and fed some positivity into them to raise the morale. It was an old Jedi technique used often in wartime to help provide more courage to their own soldiers while also attempting to demoralize their enemies.

But in this case, I'm only doing it for comfort and reassurance to the crew. Nobody but the Knights will be getting their hands dirty today.

I felt the Officer next to me stiffen momentarily before he began to relax again. Given how I haven't completely mastered the Force yet, my efforts aren't seamless. The crew could feel it every time I did something like this. The Captain described to me how it felt like a palpable change in atmosphere.

Unlike the rest of the First Order, this crew has spent so much time around the Knights of Ren in close quarters that they've grown more accustomed to us using the Force around them. They've become less surprised but that doesn't mean they didn't still feel momentary uneasiness - especially when I opt to pull tricks like this.

I started to leave the bridge and headed toward the elevator that would take me down to the belly of the ship where the ramp was. The other Knights were already heading there, eager for an excuse to get off the ship and see where this goes with the Taurans. I felt the Officer follow me, datapad tucked under his arm and comlink in his ear. We both boarded the lift and descended.

I looked over his uniform momentarily, and spotted a name tag: Dan Biggs. A first Lieutenant, probably fresh out of the First Order's training academy before he was sent away with the rest of us.

I studied his face. He was quite young too - likely the youngest person on board the ship.

The crew were all proficient and experienced in some way, so he must have been quite an all-star student to qualify here.

And for someone so young, he was very good at demonstrating the perfect military discipline in standing straight and facing ahead. If he knew I was giving him a once-over, he showed no outward indication.

"Lieutenant Dan or Lieutenant Biggs?" I asked his preference of title. It was a horrid attempt at a light, humorous conversation and the only change in behavior I noticed was a rhythmic bobbing of his adam's apple.

He's nervous now. He's not familiar with my change in demeanor.

I adjusted the cuffs of my sleeves so they remained tucked underneath my gloves. "In case you can't tell," I spared him another glance through my mask. "I'm not very good at lightening the mood," I finished dryly.

I could tell he was searching for an appropriate response, but was feeling at a loss because it wouldn't be considered appropriate by any means in the First Order.

"Seriously though, what would you like me to call you?" I inquired. "I suspect we'll be spending more time around each other."

"Whatever you wish to call me, Ma'am," he replied firmly as he continued to stare straight ahead.

I should have figured he'd go for the safest response to my question. I skimmed over his mind for a moment and concluded that the only time he'll possess a more assertive and decisive nature is once he's lost his patience.

Perhaps that's an understatement. From what I can see, he's a passive Officer who never found a healthy outlet in his cadet training and has now become someone with very aggressive tendencies once it's built up enough.

Sadly, it's typical with most soldiers these days.

Right now I could still sense his fear first and foremost, despite my efforts to calm everyone on board. His mind is the most erratic of anyone on board the _Genesis_ as of now, and it's not just because he has to share the elevator with me.

"You're a very insecure man," I observed. "Let's try to remedy that later on."

As the elevator doors opened, there was a _thud_ and small tremors ran through the ship to indicate we've been set down in one of the hangars aboard the Capital ship.

I stepped out and began to approach the other five Knights by the ramp. It looks like they hadn't been waiting long and all of them were masked for this occasion. The ramp had not yet lowered and the Officer's comm buzzed as we got closer.

He silently followed me while he listened to the other end, the corners of his mouth turned downward. "Ma'am, intel found something noteworthy about the other vessels in the Capital ship's hangar."

I stopped walking for a moment, and looked at him again - he caught the interest of the other Knights as well.

"Most of the other Tauran ships in the hangar have matched the previous vessels we encountered before," he paused to let his words sink in. "Both friendly and unfriendly."

I didn't reply as my fists clenched again. It's not something I would have liked to hear right now.

Zander Ren spoke up, "So the orders given to their scouts came from the same command center. Their mixed messages toward us were intentional." His mind swirled with frustration. Anger.

Darkness.

It's true. He said what the rest of us were thinking.

The chilling tension in the air was palpable, and the poor Officer next to me was petrified. Afraid the other Knights would take it out on him.

I allowed my hands to relax by my sides and I took a deep breath. "Thank you. You're dismissed."

Lieutenant Dan scuttled off without reply upon hearing my words. He forgot to salute, but it's not worth telling his Commanding Officer.

This is a trying day for everyone. But we plan to make it even worse for the Taurans.

They set us up for this from the start, and we played right into their hands. I didn't need to try reading the other Knights' minds to tell that we all felt like fools. And now that we're set up to look like the bad guys, they have the perfect opportunity to fight us like any good heroes would.

A Knight hit the control buttons with his fist, and the ramp began to lower.

I reached down to rest my gloved fingers on my holstered lightsaber. If the Taurans are prepared to take on the role of righteous peacekeepers, I'll be sure to give them a good reason for it.

* * *

 **For those who are worried they won't see my promised TRON fanfiction for a while, don't worry. It will be out once I'm finished refining the chapters I had written back in my middle school years (there's a bit of work to do). And I plan to break my vow of working on no more than one story at a time to post it.**

 **Now, about my posting schedule; I write irregularly due to my classes and work schedule. Updates will be sporadic and unpredictable, but I intend to post well-written chapters to make up for it. I've uploaded this first one a handful of weeks ahead of schedule, but I've had a bad day and working on this has cheered me up.**

 **Let's see where things go from here.**


	2. Diplomacy With the Taurans

**Hey all, it's me again. I think I made a bit of a mistake choosing to take two summer classes. Nevertheless, I'm still managing to find time here and there for writing. Another thanks to to my Beta,** **KumquatAssassin. She really has helped me bring more life into this chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Diplomacy With the Taurans**

We marched down the ramp in a "V" formation with Zander taking up the lead next to me stopping not too far from the welcoming party of Tauran officers and troops ahead.

Their discomfort was easily noticeable.

Our welcoming party was lined up across the hanger, facing us with an intrepid front.

Behind the officers, there were dozens upon dozens of soldiers training their firearms on us, ready to fire upon command.

Security is a bit overkill. Perhaps they expected most of the crew to step out too.

They don't even know that we're Force wielders.

The Knights broke formation to line up side by side facing down the Tauran forces. A man stepped forward from the opposing side and strode toward Zander, likely assuming him to be the leader.

"My name is Solana, first Knight of Ren. Are you the ship's Captain?" I said before any exchanges could occur.

The man tilted his head to the side and drawled in a very thick, foreign accent. "I am Officer Brodie of the Tauran fleet. I was assigned to be your liaison. You and your crew are hereby charged with-" he glanced down at his clipboard, "Gross misconduct, disturbing of the peace, violation of sentient rights of your galaxy, disrespect of authority, and intergalactic loitering." His blank, soulless eyes unwavering as he spoke.

Intergalactic loitering? Seriously? I'll give this man credit though, he doesn't even look fazed with our black attire or the masks and hoods covering our heads. I wonder how many disguised "criminals" he's around on a daily basis.

Although, I was most impressed with how he managed to read his entire list with a straight face.

I could feel Zander Ren's annoyance flaring out and I knew his restraint was being tested.

I felt disappointed to learn that he's not the Captain. I appreciate the introduction, but this man is of no consequence to me. At least we didn't have to deal with a language barrier though; that was much more than I could have hoped for.

"That's all good to know," I replied to the liaison with a warning edge to my tone. "But this conflict is a matter I would like to settle with whomever is in charge. Would that be the Captain or someone else?" I scrutinized the man through my mask.

"I'm afraid the Captain is unavailable at this moment. I will need you and everyone on board your ship to surrender for processing. I will help ensure your comfort while in custody until you plead your case in our justice system," Everything from the slump of his shoulders to his lack of eye contact made him look numb.

"There must be some confusion," I said, my patience nearly gone. "The Knights and crew are from our own galaxy and don't fall within your jurisdiction. As far as I'm concerned, we have the right to refuse your _hospitality_ , and to meet with a real authority figure straight away… unless you'd rather save yourselves the trouble and forget this ever happened." I left his options there. The Knights of Ren rarely negotiate, and only ever on our own terms.

"Madame, I'm afraid-"

"You are tired. Your boots are fastened too tight," I began, summoning the Force to attempt a mind trick. Time to show off what power we're capable of… that is, if the mind trick works this time.

Thankfully, I felt another Knight concentrating in the Force to help bolster my power. Jadiel Ren, I can always count on him and his Force when it's needed.

I continued speaking, with more confidence to make this mind trick work.

"You are to go to your quarters to take a nap. You will unlace your boots to help relieve the stress on your feet before you go. On your way to your quarters, you will pause to drape your laces over the Captain's shoulder. You will take no other detour on your way to your quarters. You will not wake from your nap until your body has all the sleep that it needs, and nothing will interrupt or disturb that."

As I'd hoped, the liaison's eyes glazed over as he repeated my instructions aloud and then bent over to unlace his boots. Our audience watched in stunned silence; I could hear a few soldiers flipping off the safety switch on their guns at their discretion.

A charge was starting to build in the air. I could feel it and the familiar sensation indicated one thing: there's going to be a fight soon.

The liaison straightened back up, bootlaces in hand as he turned on his heel and marched back toward the assembled troops and officers.

"Officer Brodie, what are you doing?" Someone, likely his superior, was demanding.

The liaison didn't respond and kept walking, as if in a trance. By then, he was a few rows into the crowd and halted his movements. He turned to a seemingly random gentleman in the crowd and carefully hung his laces over the man's shoulder before he moved to exit the hangar bay. Predictably, the Taurans looked unsure of what to do and nobody made a move to stop him.

I took advantage of the moment and focused on the minds of the troops.

 _Conspiracy_.

 _Witchcraft._

The words echoed in the vast majority of the enemy soldiers' heads. They genuinely had no idea what was really going on. They hadn't even heard any legends before about the Force. They had no idea what the Knights of Ren are truly capable of.

I smirked behind my mask. All the better that we have such an element of surprise over them.

I knew there were hundreds of weapons trained on the Knights, but I decided to push my luck by taking a few steps forward, closer to the man hiding among the crowd.

"Captain," I prompted with a raised voice so the very man with bootlaces still hanging over his shoulder could hear me. Understandably, he was dumbstruck from what has just transpired. "You are the one in charge here, correct?"

He blinked,snapping his attention to me as soon my words registered. He then was better able to comprehend what was going on. He couldn't hide anymore; he was exposed - by one of their own, as a matter of fact.

The Captain stepped forward and headed towards me. Indeed, he must be in charge of this entire ship. On the way, he grabbed the laces hanging on his shoulder and handed them off to someone before coming to a stop just out of my arm's reach.

"Captain," I spoke again. "Hiding like that was bad form and cowardly in behavior," I admonished.

He took a few breaths before he spoke in the same accent as the liaison before, "Aren't you hiding behind that mask?"

"My identity is of no consequence because I'm standing here to confront the conflict at hand. And I'm determined to resolve it one way or another."

"You act as if you're in the position of power."

"The events that have just transpired indicates that I am."

"Are you going to cast a spell on me too?" he glared at me defiantly.

The Captain had to be a few decades my senior and awfully petulant for his age. Even now, he still has much to learn and even more for him to experience.

"Certainly not," I assured. A few of the Tauran soldiers even relaxed a bit from this. "I wouldn't request to speak with you if I didn't intend for a two-way conversation. I would like to have a better understanding of why you gave the approval to take my matters into your own hands."

"Your matters?" he quizzed.

"Yes, you are inhibiting the duties I must perform for the First Order and the Knights of Ren, as of now both whom I represent."

"And what of your ship's Captain?" he pressed. "Perhaps I should also speak with him."

I looked at him squarely, "The Captain takes orders from me aboard the ship. He otherwise acknowledges the Supreme Leader of the First Order," I said, raising a finger in front of him to emphasize the importance of my words. "Both whom I've mentioned has no business related to your own. So tell me," I leaned into his personal space. "Why are you interfering with First Order affairs by hindering my task force?"

"First and foremost," the Captain started, finally getting some confidence back, along with a hint of arrogance. "We have witnessed activity from your ship that impedes on the individual rights of sentient beings, particularly those that are trying to leave your galaxy. Your other charges have already been listed."

"The First Order runs my home galaxy, not you," I countered. "You're sorely mistaken if you believe our government, military and civilians fall under your kind's jurisdiction."

I didn't need to Force to know that the Captain wasn't going to truly acknowledge the core of my argument here, nor the implications.

I tilted my head to the side, choosing to escalate the tension. "You're not even listening, are you?"

"Your actions have no legitimate excuse or justification, I'm afraid. You and your crew must be held accountable for your crimes against basic rights."

"I have my orders to manage the galaxy from the border. We are to prevent anyone from leaving to spread trouble," I held my chin a bit higher. "If my job also has to involve preventing people at all costs from getting in, then I have no problem performing that duty. There's nothing permissible about interfering with military affairs and I will not allow or tolerate it. If I have to give the order to counter your forces, there will be no qualms about it but I warn you; it will not be pleasant."

"Is that a threat, Solana Ren?" the Captain questioned me carefully.

"It is," I don't mince words this time. I'm not looking to make nice with this guy. Contrary to what he may believe, I don't need anything from him - not even his sympathy.

If I'd decided not to use my speech for this occasion, the Knights would have destroyed the entire hangar bay by now and all the ships it holds. I don't have much to regret though. I figured that I wouldn't get anything good from a conversation, but I've enjoyed wasting everyone's time. I've got plenty of it, and we have no place to go anytime soon.

This show of speaking with the Captain is merely a formality. We're not uncivilized creatures, after all. Once this mockery of an option is exhausted, we'll give the Taurans a good show of what we're capable of - what the Knights of Ren are really meant to do. All in the name of the First Order and the power it beholds.

It appears it may happen soon.

The Captain shook his head and on cue, a number of soldiers approached from the crowd, each gripping a pair of handcuffs. "I'm sorry, Solana Ren; this is your last chance. Surrender now, or this will become more difficult for everyone."

Zander Ren lost his patience and with a sudden wave of his hand, all of the handcuffs violently flew out of the hands of the Tauran soldiers and shot across the hangar bay. They clattered a few times as they impacted and slid even further away. I wouldn't have bothered to respond to the Captain even if I had the chance.

There was no pause. A deafening roar rippled through the air as the Tauran soldiers opened fire at us. On pure instinct, Idris and Edith Ren lifted their hands with their palms open to stop the projectiles in mid air.

Interesting enough, they looked like little pellets - unlike our own plasma rounds.

Jadiel Ren didn't move.

Cassius Ren drew his own blaster to fire upon the Tauran soldiers while they stood in awe of the spectacle. None of his shots missed.

I Force pushed the Captain and a handful of soldiers to the floor before any of them could attack me in close quarters.

Zander activated his lightsaber. The blood red color drew the attention of the Taurans, if but for a moment.

More shots were fired.

A fraction of them were now breaching the shaky shield that Edith and Idris Ren had established in the Force.

I suddenly collapsed on the ground as pain flared through my torso and left shoulder. I've been hit. It was very different from blaster rounds. It didn't burn the surrounding areas on impact or electrocute me. The pellets had penetrated and were still lodged in my skin. I could already feel my clothes soaking up my blood.

I growled and took a few precious moments to master my pain before I got back up. The Force is with us today - I felt it. I called my lightsaber to my hand and activated it, using it to try and deflect the stray rounds escaping the focus of Idris and Edith. My silver blade felt like a talisman.

Zander appeared to be doing the same, though he paused now and then to stab or slash at a Tauran soldier that got too close.

Jadiel Ren stood behind us, assumedly meditating.

Deflection didn't seem to work on these metal rounds, though the lightsabers appeared to be stopping them one way or another. Instead they were melted by the blade while being swept to the side from our swings.

So the Taurans use primitive ammo. Interesting.

I looked across the hangar to the control room above, in the perfect area to observe the entire space. That's where most ships control the tractor beam. If we don't take that out, we're not going anywhere.

As if he read my mind, Jadiel Ren slipped from his full-time meditation amidst the chaos and stepped forward. He raised both his hands slowly as he summoned the Force. At least half of the soldiers firing on us were lifted off their feet and then hurdled across the hangar to the other side.

Then Jadiel's fingers curled, as if he was gripping something in the air, and then slowly pulled his arms downward, elbows bent.

There was a loud creak in protest. The entire control room was suddenly pulled down from its perch, violently impacting with the ground below. A few unfortunate soldiers had been unable to get out of the way in time.

Few shots were being fired at that point. Idris and Edith Ren let the hovering bullets drop to the ground and froze the rest of the soldiers that hadn't yet been incapacitated.

I saw Jadiel's head suddenly whirl in my direction, warning me. I quickly turned around and with a flick of my wrist, the lightsaber cleanly amputated the Captain's hand, which held one of those primitive handguns.

He shouted in agony and fell to his knees before me. I ignored the throbbing pains in my torso for a bit longer as I crouched in front of him but spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Look around you, Captain," my words held no arrogance, but also lacked sympathy. "We are the Knights of Ren. We are powerful warriors of the Force and nothing stands in our way. You were in the wrong here. If you had chosen the diplomatic solution with me, this could have been avoided. But you couldn't stand for anything less than what you hopelessly aimed for." I paused to let my words sink in. "We are on a mission. Next time you get in our way, no lives will be spared." I stood up and looked down at the pitiful man with murder in his eyes. "We will massacre everyone."

Satisfied that I said all I needed, I turned on my heel and headed back toward the ramp. Movement was agonizing, but I didn't falter. I didn't want to display any weakness.

One by one, the Knights deactivated and holstered their weapons before they followed me back up the ramp. Jadiel Ren followed me closely, as if he expected me to collapse soon.

Once everyone was aboard, Cassius Ren punched the buttons to raise the ramp.

I looked around. The Lieutenant I had left here earlier was no longer around. In fact, nobody was around this area right now.

No matter, I carefully walked over to the buttons and held one down. I waited a few seconds before I started speaking, "This is Solana Ren. The tractor beam is deactivated. You may take off now."

Almost immediately, the pilots responded, lifting us off the floor of the giant hangar bay of the Tauran ship.

I pressed my hand against the wound on my left shoulder and when I pulled it away, my leather glove came away slick with blood. "Was anyone else hit?" I turned to the other Knights.

Jadiel Ren stood perfectly still while the rest shook their heads.

Edith Ren stepped forward with her own gloved hand outstretched to my wounds, resting it there. She took a moment to focus.

"Hmmm," she lifted her bloody hand away and didn't bother to look at how much covered it. "They're not dissolving in your body. They're just… stuck there," she cocked her head to the side. "I don't want to try healing you until the obstructions are taken care of."

I nodded.

I'll need to visit the medbay to have those removed soon. The wounds look small but they hurt considerably more than I thought they would. And while I'm sure Edith Ren could remove the obstructions if she tried, it's not something she'd be comfortable trying yet. But Edith, she's the only one who is able to really heal using the Force. A few of us can, if we focus hard, but none are as gifted as her.

Before I could dismiss the Knights and head to the medbay with Jadiel and Edith, I felt a chill go down my spine. It was subtle, but I knew a warning when I felt one.

Our ship has exited the Tauran's ship, but the fight wasn't over yet.

Jadiel Ren turned his head and looked at me. He knew I felt it too.

An elevator opened nearby and out ran Lieutenant Dan from earlier, out of breath. "Ma'am," he looked straight at me. "Knights," nodding to address the rest in a respectful way. "The Taurans have scrambled fighters to incapacitate our ship."

"As I should have expected," I replied lowly. The Captain hadn't looked ready to give up.

My hand was pressed against the other wounds on my torso. When I realized this I quickly removed it to clasp my hands behind my back instead. I straightened up and tilted my head thoughtfully. "Let's go greet them, shall we?" then I turned to Jadiel Ren. "Head to the bridge. You know what to do."

He nodded once and immediately headed for the elevator in quick, measured strides.

I didn't waste time as I turned, heading for our own ship's hangar. Everyone else followed me. I turned to Lieutenant Dan, "Have a squad of TIE pilots prepped and ready, but do not deploy them until I give an order. The Knights will go first."

The Lieutenant nodded quickly and spoke into his comlink.

Then I looked at Cassius Ren. "You've proven time and again to be the best pilot out of the six of us. I want you to lead this time and give the orders."

I could feel him barely contain his elation as he nodded back at me. I heard the smirk in his voice when he replied, "My pleasure, Solana Ren."

* * *

 **The beginning of this story is going to be a bit slow at first, but there's many different directions I want to take this story. Just sit tight folks!**

 **Reviews are also greatly appreciated. They're like 60 portions on Jakku (like you haven't heard that before). XD**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Dogfight

**Welcome back, everyone. I hope life has been kinder to all of you since my last update. A few weeks ago, a man abused prescription pills and mixed it with alcohol before he decided to go around keying cars. Then he jumped into his own car and drove off. A few blocks later he rear-ended my brother before he could turn in to my neighborhood. Coincidentally, an officer was driving up the road from the other direction and caught the entire accident on his dash-cam. Guess who was called at 12:15 in the morning while joyriding with friends to wait at the scene? By the time I arrived, there was one firetruck, two ambulances, and four police cars to take up half the entire road. It's a very scary sight to be greeted with. The car my brother drove, a wonderful '93 Honda Accord that I've poured time, blood, and sweat into, was totaled from the accident and I no longer have the option to buy it from my parents once I move out. That next day, my boyfriend drove to work when a dump truck blew a stop sign and allowed no reaction time before my boyfriend T-boned him at 45 mph...at least.**

 **I'm not joking about these circumstances. It was the weirdest two days of my life. What was even more amazing about all of this is that neither my brother nor boyfriend were harmed in either of these accidents. While I'm no religious person, it's hard to argue with my boyfriend's mother, who thinks that he had an angel with him at the time.**

 **This chapter is not Beta'd. KumquatAssassin has been busy but hasn't stopped being my cheerleader. This story has already gotten more views than either of us expected. Enjoy this chapter while I question my standings on whether a God could possibly exist or not.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Dogfight**

I felt a hand on my back and I jerked away to look at who was trying to check on me.

It was Idris Ren, which was a bit of a surprise to me. He usually spends every waking - and nighttime - hour with Edith if he can help it.

Even with his mask on, I knew he was smirking because he'd taken me by surprise. "No worries, 'Lana, I got your _back_."

I groaned at the pun. "I think you killed a few of my brain cells," I carefully pulled away from his resting hand to not aggravate my injuries. "Go annoy Edith with your stupid jokes."

"She told me to pick a new victim," he shrugged. "Normally I'd bother Jadiel, but you sent him to the bridge. Cassius would shoot me with a stun bolt, and I'm definitely not taking my chances with Zander right now."

I wouldn't blame Idris either. The atmosphere was heavy and very dark around Zander, like he was pulling invisible storm clouds with him. It was hard to tell if he was annoyed with the recent events of today, or if he was simply basking in the dark side now that he had an outlet for his pent up violence.

"On a more serious note," Idris directed my attention back to himself. "You really don't look too good. Please consider sitting this one out. The battle should be short and easy anyway."

"Then there shouldn't be a high chance of straining myself in this one," I countered as I stood up a bit straighter. I had been slouching from tiredness. "I'm not even bleeding that much. Besides, I still need to teach the Taurans a lesson."

There it is. The matter of pride. Idris, as a man, would very much understand why I feel the need to uphold my image this way. Certainly it's not a good example to display, nor is it healthy, but I plan to show off every ounce of strength I possess to ward off the Taurans and discourage them from trying anything again… at least not for a while.

We reached the nearest hangar bay and I checked my wounds again. They're not bad; they just sting. I was still bleeding, but it wasn't much.

Cassius rubbed his gloved hands together gleefully as he jumped into the leading TIE prepped and ready for us. I hauled myself into the one on his right hand side, Zander took the one on his left, and Edith and Idris climbed into the two fighters behind us.

I paused for a brief second before I started warming up its engine. I was glad Cassius was so eager to take command for a while. It gave me a break but at the same time, I didn't trust myself to lead a dogfight.

The last time all of the Knights had done this, we were being led by Kylo Ren. With him gone, I'm supposed to take over as his second in command, but flying is not my forte. This time, at least, I was more than happy to hand the responsibility to another. I felt content to be simply another team player.

Right as our fighters began to lift from the ground, Cassius spoke to everyone through communications.

 _Alright, we'll keep this plain and simple without the military flying-in-formation crap. Solana, Edith, and Idris will engage the enemy fighters while Zander and I cripple the Capital ship. Can I get an affirmative?_

We acknowledged the orders and sped out of the hangar bay. Once we exited the ship's shields and into the vastness of space, I got a good look at what we were up against.

There were a lot of fighters.

The Tauran Captain must be very upset.

They were also making short work attacking our own ship.

Immediately, Zander and Cassius broke away and headed straight for the Capital ship, unconcerned whether the _Genesis_ would be able to cover them or not.

It didn't really matter. It wasn't about whether we were expendable or not, but plain and simple: the Knights of Ren are dangerous. We've gotten so far on our own without help that even now, we don't think we need it. Perhaps it's arrogance, but we've been stuck for the past five years believing we have nothing left to lose.

Just like Cassius and Zander were doing just fine blowing up the fighters in their way. None of the enemies bothered to even pursue because they probably had high hopes that their own defenses would wipe them out quickly.

Idris, Edith, and I split up to cover and defend a larger space, to take down as many fighters as we could. Perhaps it was the Force at work, but this battle felt a bit easier than I expected it to be. I tended to get a bit nervous whenever I had to be at the controls.

We were downing one fighter at a time. There were so many swarming around the ship that it was hard not to hit someone, though a bit more challenging to dodge everyone else's fire. Nothing I couldn't handle though; in fact, I almost pitied enemy fighters that divided into a second group to attack the bridge. They all halted before they got too close, stopped by an invisible hold. The metal that made up their ships started to twist and bend as their ships crippled and ceased to function, then they were violently thrown back into the swarm. They each crashed into several of their teammates. Quite a large number of our opponents were down for the count. I spared a quick glance at the bridge and, of course, there stood Jadiel Ren majestically in his dark robes. He was already lowering his arms now that the damage had been done. This fight was close to ending, thanks to him.

I was forced to focus back on the battle when I got clipped by a shot. My shields took most of the damage, but the round still left a good mark. I bit back a few curses and retaliated by blowing up his ship - killing him instantly.

Realizing what I did, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, and slipped into a light meditation while I changed my rounds to stuns only designed to disable. I didn't see any reason why we couldn't leave a few survivors. Even if those survivors returned to fight another day, it wouldn't be for a very long time.

I activated my microphone and spoke to Cassius Ren.

 _Enemy fighters are almost neutralized. How are you boys doing with the Capital ship?_

I waited for the reply.

 _Most of their guns are destroyed. We've got one more before we go for the engines. Then we can head back._

I could hear the unmistakable raspy pleasure in his voice. He was high on the bloodshed, and I bet Zander was too.

I suppose it's been a while since the last time they were able to effectively channel the darkside - well, at least in Zander's case.

Cassius had the weakest connection to the Force out of all of us, though also dark. I knew he was getting a rewarded feeling by being able to channel his own talents to conquer and destroy his enemies. He was amazing with a blaster compared to his saber skills, and he was an even better pilot.

Before I knew it, all the rest of the fighters were disabled and the outer space around our ships was filled with debris from our defeated opponents.

A cheeky part of me was visualizing the Tauran Captain having a stroke over this.

Zander and Cassius were returning as well. I could feel the satisfaction radiating off of them.

 _This is what I call a job well done. Let's all head back inside._

Cassius once again took the lead and the rest of us followed. Silently, we landed back in the hangar we came from, and I stumbled out of my TIE. Jadiel Ren was already there to steady me. Then Edith rushed over to my side as well.

"Alright, we've had our fun," she said firmly. "Now let's get you to the medbay. Thinking about those rounds lodged in you makes me feel very uncomfortable."

Cassius suddenly came up behind and playfully slapped me on the back. Yes, he was definitely satisfied with how the day's been going for him and I managed not to flinch from the pain.

"You're an awesome boss, Solana Ren," he chuckled under his own mask. "Just don't tell Kylo I said that."

Zander scoffed and crossed his arms over his broad chest as we all headed toward the elevator. "No need. If his dark side training is going as well as I imagine it, he won't need to bat an eye to read your mind." He paused. "Especially when you're projecting your thoughts and feelings so loudly."

The elevator doors closed behind us and we ascended to the living area first. That's where Zander and Cassius immediately stepped off. They were probably going to clean up for dinner. Idris squeezed Edith's other hand which I hadn't known he'd been holding before he followed the other two.

That left me with Edith and Jadiel as we ascended two more levels and strode toward the medical wing.

With the adrenaline all gone, I could feel the exhaustion starting to set in. Combined with my wounds and blood loss, I was considerably tired. Maybe I'd get to nap while Edith heals me.

Jadiel's hand shot out to grab my upper arm just before I tripped over my own feet. Maybe fighting before seeing the doctor wasn't such a good idea.

We paused long enough for me to right myself and nod my thanks to him. I was much more careful with walking until we reached our destination.

Chief medical Officer Hutchins looked surprised to see us. Although we always take the high risk assignments and train the most violently, we happen to come here the least often out of everyone else on board.

"Good grief," he muttered to himself as he took in my appearance. "This way, lay down over there." We were led to a private room for him to work. He washed his hands and donned some latex gloves before he started to help me remove my outer robes. "What happened?"

"I got shot by Tauran rounds," I said simply.

"They're very primitive," Edith continued for me. "Made of metal, but they don't dissolve in the body. We just need you to remove them so I can concentrate on healing her injuries."

Hutchins nodded as Edith spoke. "I want to clean out the wounds before you do anything else. We don't want to seal any pathogens inside."

I lifted my hands to remove my mask. "Understood." I released the catches and my mask hissed as it loosened and I could finally lift it from my head. My neck and shoulders felt a bit better now that there wasn't so much weight resting on them. I removed my gloves and tunic so I was left in a simple tank top with my bra underneath. My leggings and boots stayed on as I completely laid back on the table.

He adjusted an overhead light as he sat on a stool next to me and began sorting through his tools. "Would you like me to numb the areas?"

I thought it over for a moment. "No thank you," I didn't really need it. Of course I knew it'll hurt, but I was very familiar with pain and it would be no different than any other time.

The medic immediately got to work digging to pull out the round in my shoulder. I turned my head away and noticed that Jadiel had stood to guard the door. He didn't look at me, but Edith appeared fascinated by what was going on and even seemed curious to know what the round looks like.

I didn't care. The metal bits lodged in me probably look something like the ones that she and Idris had frozen in midair.

One of his utensils slipped and scraped at a spot between my delicate tissue and bone; I bit the inside of my cheek. But I stayed perfectly still. It would be easier if I don't move.

I focused on my exhaustion and opted to close my eyes. Despite the pain and anxiety I was feeling with having a medic digging around my insides, I started to drift just a little bit.

In my dazed state, I saw flashes of hazel eyes and chestnut brown hair in my mind. I winced. This was not a good time.

Before I knew it, there was a gentle hand on my good shoulder and I opened my eyes. It was Edith - when had she taken her mask off?

Her hood was also down to reveal her lavender lekku draping over her shoulders. I gazed into her purple eyes for a moment and she smiled at me. "Here," she reached for the buttons to raise the head of the table so I was sitting up a bit more. "The medic got everything out with no incidences. The injuries are disinfected, so now I can heal you."

I glanced to the side and saw Hutchins had taken off his gloves and was washing his hands again. I relaxed and turned so I was facing forward again toward the ceiling and the front wall. "Thank you," I said politely. I rarely came to the medbay, mostly because Edith would take care of me.

"You're very welcome," the medic replied. He reached out his hand and I grasped it firmly as a gesture of appreciation and respect. A moment later, we both let go and he departed. "Take care," were his parting words.

Edith began to remove her own gloves so she could get started. She preferred skin to skin contact as the visual and sensation would help hone her skills. I looked down and noticed that my tank top had been cut apart by the medic so he could reach my other wounds. I shrugged out of the rags. It was pointless to wear it now and it gave Edith better access too.

I kept quiet as she closed her eyes and slipped into a meditative state. She laid her hands on my shoulder. My skin tingled warmly as I felt it mending together and the pain began to lessen.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the content silence while she healed me and I sat still.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quietly as she moved lower to work on my torso.

"For what?" I asked as I opened my eyes again. Apologies were rare amongst the First Order and the Knights of Ren - even toward each other - given the circumstances of our lifestyle that involve atrocities and mistreatment left and right. Today felt like a normal day - what could she possibly be apologizing for?

As if she sensed my thoughts, she opened her eyes and lifted her head a bit to look at me. "I couldn't concentrate enough to keep the barrier impenetrable. It's my fault you got shot."

Oh. "I'm actually impressed that you and Idris held up so well during the battle," I admitted, as if she didn't need to apologize in the first place. "It just takes more practice. There's a reason I didn't bother to try to freeze the Tauran rounds." I wasn't very good at that skill - we Knights are still learning, after all. The one time I stopped a plasma bolt successfully was in a very unexpected circumstance and I nearly died from the effort.

I smiled fondly at that memory. Despite almost losing my life, it had opened a door to a new association with the First Order member I had saved from assassination.

"It's just…" Edith continued. "If I had been better-"

"You _will_ get better," I interrupted and overrode the conversation. "If you'd like, both Idris and I will help you practice more." I paused a long moment before I reluctantly added: "Maybe one day, Master Kylo will be able to help as well."

A soft smile immediately spread across Edith's face at the thought. "That would be nice," she admitted.

The boys don't act like they care when they mention Kylo Ren, but we all miss him. It's been five years now and I've since stopped believing we'd see him again - at least not for a very long time. I want to be careful about getting everyone's hopes up, especially Edith. She struggled enough as it was.

But hope can feed in to light, and it did well to improve Edith's performance with light-sided abilities. I was already noticing that her healing was getting faster and more effective.

It was over sooner than I expected. I didn't look at where my injuries had been as I reached for my clothes; I knew her work left no marks behind. It was like I never got shot in the first place. I pulled my tunic and outer robes back on while Jadiel courteously disposed of my ruined tank top.

Edith put her gloves on and picked up her mask, but didn't put it back on. She paused and turned toward me as I started to stand back up. I didn't sway, my body felt reinvigorated and refreshed like I woke from a pleasant sleep. Force healing truly was a gift, though Edith must be tired now. It's been a long day, and such a powerful technique can be draining.

I picked up my own helmet and turned toward my Twi'lek friend. She hesitated before she spoke, "I know you miss Master Kylo just as much as the rest of us. You don't have to hide it." She smiled a bit as she continued, "I truly believe that we'll see him again. It's only a matter of time."

And it'll depend on circumstance. If Snoke is still alive to allow for our return, it probably wouldn't be for something good.

I quickly put my helmet back on to hide the trepidation on my face. Snoke's personal threat toward me all those years ago still rang loud and clear in my head.

I took a deep breath through my filtered mask. "It'll be alright. We'll definitely see him again. You're right; it's a matter of time."

Edith nodded silently, aware that the conversation was over. She slipped her mask over her face and pulled her hood up to conceal the rest of her head before she stepped out of the medbay. Jadiel Ren placed a hand firmly on my shoulder to reassure me and I looked at his own mask. It was like the rest of ours, but simpler: black metal with only a miniscule hint of chrome that outlined the shape of a face and made him look intimidating. We didn't say anything; we exchanged a nod and then followed Edith out.

* * *

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 **Cheers!**


	4. Intruder

**Hey! So life at a university has been kind to me thus far. It's surreal though, because I don't have a new job so I'm just doing class and homework day in and day out. Big highlight was two weeks ago. I'm on my way to class and this dude sidles up to me and gets really in my personal space. He tells me that I look a lot like Amelia Earhart (though it's more like the _Night at the Museum_ version than the real-life person), and he asks me if I'm interested in modeling/acting. I naturally don't like the spotlight, so I turn it down. Well, he gropes my ass and walks away after, but not before I notice a hospital band on his wrist. Then last week, he calls me because he somehow got ahold of my number! I had to change it on Saturday. I bought a mini can of mace for good measure since I tend to walk alone on campus. Moral of the story: looking "exotic" or "unique" does not always get you good attention.  
Anyway, I sat down and edited this chapter tonight to relax. There's more humorous content in here, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks for reading my rant. :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - Intruder**

I woke to the shriek of an alarm, and it wasn't coming from the clock at my bedside. My eyes snapped open and I sat up quickly. I didn't recognize this type of siren, but it sounded similar to what's used to alert of an escaped prisoner.

Quickly, I threw my covers aside and leaped out of bed. I didn't stop to pull on a pair of boots. I grabbed my lightsaber and bolted out the door of my quarters into the bustling hall. I had no idea what we were going up against tonight.

I got to the bridge as soon as I could. There I'd receive a report to inform me of what's happening.

I could see that Zander got here shortly before me. He was wearing standard issue sleepwear provided by the First Order: a simple tank top and a pair of loose fitting trousers. He turned toward me and couldn't hide the smirk that appeared when he saw what I was wearing.

Satin irall nightwear - a short little dress, really. Perhaps it wasn't the smartest thing to pack for wearing on a military vessel, but I didn't expect to be roused from sleep for emergencies and… well, there's no rules against wearing whatever I want to bed since I'm not First Order.

Jadiel Ren sleeps in the nude, anyway.

I turned to the side as I saw Idris and Edith dashing out of the elevator next.

Zander's smirk widened still.

Idris Ren wore nothing but boxers and Edith was in a simple bra and panties. Most of their exposed skin was flushed, as though they had been in the middle of something before the alarm went off.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. They'd been together for almost eight years, and they still couldn't get enough of each other.

Although, we're all still quite young. I shouldn't really be surprised.

Jadiel seemed to have come out of nowhere. He was fully dressed in his black robes and had his mask on as if it was a normal day and not in the middle of the night.

I couldn't help but admire how he managed to get dressed so quickly under the circumstances and not show up with any wrinkles or creases in the fabric. Meticulous as ever.

Cassius was last to show up. His entire naked upper body was glistening with moisture and there was a white towel wrapped around his waist.

I frowned. "Cassius, it's nighttime. What were you doing in the showers?"

He gave me a wide, sheepish, toothy smile - it was enough to tell me that whatever the reason, I wouldn't want to know.

The captain then approached and did a double take with each of us. We looked very odd indeed. Save for Zander and Jadiel, who wore their usual boots, the rest of us were in bare feet and various states of undress. All of us had our lightsabers though - and Cassius additionally brought his trusty blaster with.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Security breach," the captain answered. "There's an intruder detected on-board the _Genesis_ but we haven't yet been able to apprehend the suspect."

"Any idea where the person may be?" Zander asked. He always seemed to enjoy the idea of a hunt.

"No, Sir," the captain replied.

"How was the intruder detected?" queried Idris.

The captain was handed a data pad and he opened something up on it. "Tried to hack us," he pulled up grainy footage of a human knelt in front of some kind of panel. He was clearly male, given his larger build, and wore some kind of dark, skintight catsuit. I couldn't tell if he was trying to get past a locked door or into something more sensitive but all the same, he had indeed attempted to breach something.

"Did he get whatever he was trying to reach?" I asked carefully. I needed to know exactly everything going on and what we could be up against. If he stole something, he could have some sort of powerful weapon, or priceless intel. I want minimal damage control needed once this is over.

"No," the captain answered. He also sounded relieved. "The suspect was detected and the alarm sounded before anything else could happen. The perpetrator fled before security got there. By now, the intruder could be anywhere on the ship."

Zander huffed, "He can't be hard to find, with the stupid unitard he's wearing."

"But he likely would have been caught by now if he hadn't changed clothes," Idris argued. "It's what I would do if I was in his shoes."

"That's where we need your help," the captain announced. "You all have the Force; we're hoping there's something you can do."

Edith then quirked an eyebrow quizzically. "And what do you suggest we can do?" She somehow holds herself in a dignified, powerful way despite being half-naked in front of the captain and thirty other senior officers.

"I don't know, you've felt the minds of everyone on board this ship. Isn't there a way to reach out and detect an unfamiliar presence?" the captain wondered.

"That's not how the Force works!" Zander hissed.

Jadiel turned and stalked off the bridge.

"Where's he going?" the captain inquired.

"Probably to look for the intruder," I replied distractedly. "The old fashioned way."

"But-"

"Listen," I snapped. "It doesn't matter. There's nothing I can do; we need to search the ship ourselves. Have someone keep an eye on security cameras as well."

The captain couldn't argue. He didn't understand our abilities and there was nothing he could do about the situation.

Even if there was a way for us to reach out in the Force to detect an unfamiliar life form, we didn't have the chance to learn it from Kylo before we were sent away.

With that, we all departed and split up to search different parts of the ship. In this case, I was glad we spent as long as five years on this ship. The Knights now know every face on board, from maintenance crews to kitchen staff to senior officers; this knowledge would be useful for the searches. Cassius headed toward the hangars and training rooms, where everyone was assembled in rows for a thorough inspection.

Edith sprinted to the storage areas while Idris went to the common areas, cafeteria, and recreational rooms on the ship. Zander went to the armories and the underbelly of the ship where the ramp is.

I have no idea where Jadiel went.

I headed to the living spaces. There were personnel bustling past me to report to their commanding officers or to assist in the search.

I could search all rooms eventually, but decided it would be to best start with the people in the area. I wasn't particularly good at matching people to names, but I don't forget faces that easily. It took a quick glance to recognize the staff member and then I examined the next. I continued doing that for the next handful of hours as I went floor to floor in the living areas. As the search continued, there were less people to inspect. I eventually reached a hallway where there was nobody save for one other person and I started to feel anxious. We needed to find the intruder soon.

A chill suddenly went down my back and I knew I was being watched. I turned just in time to see a tall, broad-shouldered man stride past me. My eyes fell to his name tag as he passed.

Dan Biggs.

Then I snapped my attention to the back of his head as he strode away. Dirty blonde hair, not quite unlike Zander's own hair that he keeps pulled up in a man bun. This man's hair was much shorter, and looked a bit shaggy despite the gel that he had in it to make himself appear more professional and neat.

Then he paused and looked over his shoulder ever so slightly at me.

The lieutenant had darker hair that was much shorter than this stranger's own hair.

He turned toward me and planted his feet as he studied my face. Then his eyes widened when he realized that I knew who he was.

And he looked an awful lot like Zander Ren.

I moved before he could grab his firearm and summoned the Force to push him aggressively against the nearest wall. He grunted in both surprise and pain before reality seemed to come back to him. His face paled when he saw that I was still a fair distance away from him with my hand extended… and there was nothing visible holding him in place.

A quick twitch of the index and middle fingers and then his gun flew right into my hand. I turned it over and glanced down momentarily to get an up close look.

It was primitive - I'd dare say even crudely put together. But I halted those thoughts as I scrutinized what it was made of and how it worked without having fiddled too much. I kept my fingers away from the trigger and what I assumed was the safety switch.

It was a Tauran sidearm of some kind. And likely by their standards, it was "professionally made" by some sort of weapons specialist in their military.

I looked back up at him and realized that his fearful expression was gone and replaced with curiosity. "What are you…?" he whispered.

I didn't answer his question and one of the corners of my lips quirked upward into a mocking, condescending smile. I couldn't give away the unease I felt from the disturbing resemblance.

"All right, intruder," I began as I stepped closer to him. "What have you done to poor Lieutenant Dan?"

He didn't answer back, and his eyes eventually left my face and traveled downward to take in the rest of my barely-clothed appearance.

"Like what you see, intruder?" I rasped, and my eyes narrowed.

Jadiel Ren seemingly materialized next to me, and I didn't question how he got here and when. Before I knew it, the rest of the Knights along with the captain and an entire squad of Stormtroopers appeared.

Zander's face went white when he looked at the intruder.

"Well done, Solana Ren," the captain praised.

I ignored him. "Where is the lieutenant and what have you done to him?" I asked again, my patience was stretched thin. I wouldn't ask again.

"Tied up in his room," the intruder eventually answered with a carefully neutral expression. "He's fine."

I turned and stomped off and gestured for the nearest senior officer to come with. "Where's his room?" I asked.

I let the officer lead the way. I wasn't concerned with the intruder at this point. He'd be at the mercy of the Captain and Zander Ren for the time being. He could amuse himself by admiring the others' underdressed appearances for all I cared.

When I return to deal with him again, he should be sufficiently softened up for questioning. All other five members I left behind with the First Order personnel are capable of managing him until then.

I was led to a room in the middle of a hall a fair distance from where the commotion happened. The officer pressed his palm against a panel and it pinged in approval before the door slid open. I didn't have the clearances to enter the quarters of other staff on board, so I was thankful to have an authorized member willing to help.

We both stepped inside and the lights automatically came on.

Sure enough, there was a hogtied Lieutenant Dan gagged and curled up on his bed. He was wearing underclothes: a tank top and his tighty-whities.

He stared at us and we stared back at him a moment before we came forward to help untie him.

I pulled off the tie of his gag only to find a sock stuffed inside his mouth. He spat that out and urgently yelled. "He stole my uniform!"

"It's okay. We know," I said to calm him down. I started undoing the bonds on his hands while the other officer worked on his ankles.

"I-I just," he stammered. "I don't know where he came from or how he got the drop on me. How did I not know he was right behind me when I went into my room?"

"I didn't really sense him either," I admitted. "It was sheer luck that I noticed your uniform on him." I paused for a moment. "It felt like I couldn't focus or concentrate quite as well when I was close by, like I wasn't supposed to notice him."

The lieutenant turned and locked eyes with me. "The Force?" he queried.

"If he had the Force, he would have used it before he went for his gun," I rationalized. "He didn't even know what the Force was."

I finally got the ties off his hands and the senior officer turned to me. "It's only an hour before you're supposed to have woken up. I recommend returning to your quarters to - er, get dressed," he smiled kindly and then turned to focus on the lieutenant's bonds. "The intruder needs to be interrogated and I don't know of anyone more suitable for the job than your Knights."

"Kylo's Knights," I corrected quietly. "Not mine."

There was a long pause.

"Yes… of course," the officer said apologetically.

With that, I turned to leave. Several corridors and two staircases later, I was outside my own door. I pressed my palm against the panel and the door slid open.

First things first. I set my lightsaber down on the side table, glad that I didn't have to use it. Then I turned to tidy my bed and pulled the covers up to the pillow, then folded them back down a short ways. I tucked in the sheets and blankets exposed on the side and placed my pillow, fluffed, on top of the blankets.

Although the Knights including myself are exempt from room checks to make sure our military habits were crisp, I very much preferred to keep things neat.

I strode over to the closet while I pulled off my little satin shift. I tossed it in the hamper but stopped when I caught my own reflection in the mirror.

I've avoided looking into reflective surfaces since we were sent away, and perhaps I was right to do so.

I looked terrible, ghoulish, unhealthy.

The dark circles under my eyes looked like bruises, my cheeks looked hollowed out, and my skin sickly pale without the glow it used to have.

My hair, which always shone with soft dark waves now hung limp and lifeless. I combed my fingers through it absently. It's grown over the years and I didn't do much with it aside from occasional trims. My long side swept bangs had fallen over my eyes and made me look even more dull and ragged.

I was nothing like the Noble my parents tried to raise me into, for sure.

I looked intently into the eyes of my reflection that didn't quite carry that spark of life and energy anymore. They looked like a dull blue color rather than the bright cobalt I was used to seeing.

Despite my young age of twenty-six, I looked much, much older than that now.

My lips pressed into a thin line when I began to wonder why nobody had told me yet that I looked like a walking corpse.

I switched to autopilot as I stepped away from the mirror and began to slip on underwear, leggings, a bra, a tank top, a tunic, and then I pulled my sleeveless robes on over my shoulders. I buttoned it down my torso and the opening fanned out from the waist down, almost giving the illusion that I was wearing some kind of battle dress with a wide open slit to allow my legs plenty of movement. I grabbed an elastic tie, and then began to pull my hair into a loose bun at the base of my neck. I yanked my boots on up to my calfs and buckled a belt around my waist over my robes. It worked to accentuate my shaped figure underneath all the layers, but I'd long since stopped caring about my appearances given how I opted to don my mask most of the time. Maybe I should change that and see if it makes a difference.

I reached out my hand and called my saber to my hand to holster it. Then I grabbed a pair of leather gloves to pull them over the sleeves of my tunic to mid-forearm.

I stopped when I turned toward my helmet resting on a shelf.

It was made from the same material as the other helmets the Knights had: black metal and shiny chrome. I ran a hand over its surface to feel the nicks and dings it gained over years of use and I let my eyes fall shut for a moment.

I remembered the day we'd gotten our masks of this type. It was shortly before we all had pledged our allegiance to the newly christened Kylo Ren.

I hated the moments where my mind drifted off task to think about him; nothing good ever came of that. Of course, Edith was right that I missed him just as much as the rest of my fellow Knights did - I was just more private about it like the boys.

Resentment was rarely an emotion I felt and less likely to be expressed but if there was one being in the entire universe that deserved to be on the receiving end of it, it's Snoke.

I hated him for breaking up the Knights of Ren and sending us away. It wasn't fair to the others that were still learning from Kylo and it certainly wasn't fair to me either.

I hadn't quite realized the extent of the distress I was feeling until I felt a presence acknowledge and awkwardly try to soothe my uncharacteristically turbulent emotions.

At first I was inclined to think that maybe this was Jadiel or Edith who were reaching out to try and calm me down but that wasn't the case.

I took a moment too long to realize that I had mentally sought out Kylo Ren, and surprisingly, he was responding to me.

This was bad.

Communications were strictly forbidden between Kylo and the rest of us Knights. I wasn't worried about getting into trouble - it would be nothing compared to the wrath my master would face if the Supreme Leader caught us.

However, Kylo seemed unconcerned with his own master at the moment. In fact he didn't feel stressed at all, from what I could tell. Single-minded as always, he was just focused on helping me find my center again.

I focused on the pulsing of his magnificent Force imprint and the way it seemed to flow within this plane. I noticed he was carefully trying to guide me through a meditation we all used to do at Luke's Jedi Academy years ago - one that was meant to work past overwhelming emotions to once again adopt a feeling of serenity.

How was he so calm right now? And why was he up so early? Was he meditating with Vader's mask again?

We didn't try to talk to each other through the connection we established; that was the easiest way to get Snoke's attention. But we could feel each other's emotions, and that would have to do.

We stayed in a contented silence for a few moments longer once I had calmed down. I caught bits and pieces of nostalgia, longing, sadness, and resignation from his end - I wondered if he could feel the same coming from me just as easily as the dark anger I had let myself simmer in earlier.

I could also feel how quizzical he was, how he was likely wondering how I've been doing and how the Knights were. It warmed my heart a bit how I sensed his confirmation that he missed us just as much as we missed him.

I felt a dark presence far off to the side in whatever Force plane our minds were lingering in and it didn't escape our notice.

It was Snoke, but I don't think he was aware yet of what we were doing. He only seemed to stir a bit, sensing that something was going on in the Force but couldn't quite determine yet who was involved or what was going on.

I felt Kylo unwind from the embrace we had and very gently pushed me away. As we separated, his mood turned more and more dark, brooding. Then he quickly backed off and broke the connection. I reluctantly returned to my own body and opened my eyes to find myself sitting cross-legged in front of the shelf that held my mask.

That can't happen again.

Snoke didn't catch us, but it still felt like a close call and I almost got Kylo into trouble.

I stood up and was surprised when I felt refreshed and energized.

I strode back toward the mirror with purpose and stared down my reflection again. I hadn't been meditating with Kylo for much longer than a few minutes, but time passed differently in the Force. In there, it was much longer and I could tell that properly immersing myself in the light had done me some good. My cheeks were just a bit rosier and the circles under my eyes had gotten lighter.

I've touched darkness much more than I could tolerate lately, which I wasn't meant for. I naturally affiliated on the lighter side of the spectrum.

I felt a bit embarrassed and ashamed when I thought back to the last few months, and all of yesterday. I've been incredibly more aggressive than I normally am and I feel like I need to change that.

More compassion and more peace is necessary in my lifestyle. I feel like Kylo was trying to emphasize that to me when we were…

I tried to think about what exactly we did: mind melding? Except we weren't reading each other's thoughts or even speaking aloud - it was a much more raw form of communication and expression where we could feel each other's emotions.

I remember reading in one of Edith's texts about Force users who could establish connections with each other to communicate, usually in a last resort because of how much effort it can sometimes take. While such connections were more strong through blood relations, it wasn't impossible to forge it with any other Force sensitive.

My hand reached out to the side with my palm open, and my helmet flew into it. I glanced at the clock before I carefully eased it over my head, mindful of the bun I tied my hair into and tucked it all inside.

My clock's alarm turned on to indicate that it was time to wake up and with a flick of my fingers, it immediately turned off again. I was up. I was ready.

I expect breakfast will be delayed for just a bit, so I left my room and headed for the detention center where no doubt the captain and the other Knights were waiting. We have a new prisoner to question.

* * *

 **So! Any theories about where this might go? Guesses about the past of our protagonist? From here, things are very slowly going to speed up. Bear with me guys! We'll learn more about the Knights and Solana Ren in a few chapters. I'm taking this time to establish them before they get thrown into the mix post-TLJ. Everything is going to get nuts once they return!**

 **Stay safe, everyone!**


	5. Interrogation

**Hey all. I'm back again with another chapter.** **I forgot to mention it last time, but KumquatAssassin has been working a lot and me being down at school is separating us. Last chapter and this one is not Beta'd. I don't think future chapters will involve a Beta for a while, but it's all good. Writing is a personal journey for me and I haven't said this before, but I'm very glad to be taking you guys as readers along for the ride. I hope you guys end up enjoying this as much as I do.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Interrogation**

I rarely ventured down to the detention block - of course, that's mostly because I had no business down here, anyway. The First Order pays their own men to take on the role of interrogators; trivial questioning and torture is not Knightly business and won't be considered as such anytime soon.

However, this new Tauran prisoner is such a unique case that it requires very special attention. The captain insisted earlier that such work may require more "delicate," but most certainly invasive tactics when asking questions.

Which essentially means he's requesting us to invade his mind, steal all information of value, and give him one hell of a headache after.

We don't really know who we're dealing with, either. Thus far I'd been able to get a better look at the intruder's face, and his features match Zander's on what I'd consider a disturbing level.

Long, shaggy blonde hair? Check. A muscular body build? Check. Grey eyes? Check.

And like our favorite dark-sided Knight who takes on the role as the heavy, this Tauran in custody hints at possessing something of a crude and even vulgar attitude.

Of course, this is also a description of what could pass as a very average young human. He doesn't even seem that much older than me.

But seeing how disturbingly similar he is to Zander, I could understand that there's much for the Second Knight to despise.

That's mostly why I'm supposed to watch the interrogation from behind a one-way wall. It's my job to ensure that Zander doesn't take things too far with the prisoner while asking questions.

The Second Knight already has some issues with self-control but when an enemy looks just like him, of course he's likely to go off the rails. I almost considered letting Idris and Edith team against him instead. They have better restraint.

I noted that the Tauran was stripped from Lieutenant Dan's uniform and wore only the spandex jumpsuit he still had on underneath and boots that he called his own. Dan stood next to me in a duplicate of his uniform, given that the other was now in the wash.

I could feel that he still wasn't very happy for being forcefully undressed and tied up to be left on his bed in a vulnerable position. His male ego will be bruised for a while because of that.

His attitude must have been palpable to others besides me, because Idris Ren turned to the Lieutenant with a cheeky smirk. "Does someone need me to get a butthurt report for them to fill out?" he teased.

Edith rolled her eyes at his antics, and the Lieutenant's left eye twitched in response.

"Lay off him," I ordered and turned to look through the window. The Tauran looked bored and completely ignored the other men in the room interrogating him.

Even that behavior seemed very Zander-typical if the fellow Knight was in the same situation.

Earlier, he looked just as disturbed as Zander about the resemblance, but the surprise had since worn off and he started to ignore the maskless Knight too. I noted with interest that all the Knights took the time after capturing the intruder to change into our daytime garb, but Zander conveniently left his mask off; it sat on the top of a small table close to the interrogation chair.

The captain standing closest to the window looked itchy for answers, which made him completely at odds with the man in custody. From what I could sense, he was ready to allow for more physical means to pull the words out of his mouth.

I'd sooner let Zander rifle through his mind than watch the captain's interrogators pull out his fingernails. Although… the darker Knight was also getting impatient and likely more tempted to get violent as well. He'd already dismissed the other interrogators.

"I'll ask for the last time," Zander warned as his fists clenched. "What were you looking for and why was it important?"

The Tauran didn't so much as respond. His expression remained blank and he closed his eyes as if he were going to nap. It's like he didn't care what would happen.

Fed up, Zander reached out a hand so he was almost touching the prisoner's head. If he wouldn't be surrendered the information, then he would just take it.

The Tauran suddenly grimaced as his mind was invaded, but I could tell that Zander wasn't going deep, not yet. He was callous and rough in his entry, but by no means was he intending malicious harm just yet. For now, it seemed that Zander would accustom himself to the mind of the Tauran and read his surface thoughts and emotions before diving toward his goal.

I honestly couldn't tell if he was merely toying with his prey or if he was genuinely curious to get to know the prisoner. Given the unusual circumstances, it could go either or both ways.

"You're worthless... you're nothing... you'll never get anywhere in life - those are things people had told you while you grew up. Your superiors, your neighbors, your supposed _friends_ ," Zander coldly narrated the insecurities that must have followed the man since his earlier years. The Knight's lips almost twitched in fascination which I took as a good sign before he continued. "It almost appears to be truth when you were forcefully conscripted into the Tauran military over something as minor as a petty misdemeanor. It made you become just another number out of many - condemned to a fate unknown to you and completely out of your control."

Zander then switched directions. "You're completely alone too. No parents, no siblings," he then paused for a very long time, his expression faltered only for a split second before he regained his composure and continued. "-No kids and no loved ones. There's no one to miss you; it makes you all the more expendable, and easy to be kept in the claws of your superiors even past the date you were to be discharged. And you hate them for it."

Ah. I straightened up and scrutinized the scene before me in fascination. This Tauran served his required time and still had yet to be released. Their military was holding him against his will. I saw what Zander was doing. He was opening up his mind to lay bare all of his doubts, worries, and turmoil. Then he'd reveal the one thing that would allow him an opening into being able to almost take the Tauran's side in a matter. He was trying to appeal to his emotions and convince him to open up about the details in his mission. After all, he'd just pointed out that he has nothing to gain in this situation by hiding anything, given that he had enemies everywhere.

Zander only needed to make him believe that his military superiors were a bigger enemy than us.

But alas, "I will sooner die than betray my own galaxy," the Tauran man seethed in anger and annoyance. Sweat was starting to bead on his forehead from the pain he likely felt and the futile attempts to kick the Knight out of his mind.

It wouldn't do him any good.

Relentless, Zander kept pressing. "Jamie Ursa, that is your name, right? It's the only gift your parents gave you before they vanished-"

"Stop."

Zander was only egged on, "And that's the most crippling of all: you have abandonment issues. You've spent sleepless nights sometimes wondering if you had truly been left to die, or why you hadn't been good enough to be kept."

The Tauran's eyes suddenly flew open and he struggled against the shackles that bound him to the metal inclined table. "I said stop!" he shouted. I started to wonder if this taunting was merely to entertain the Knight whilst being counter-productive. A quick glance at the captain revealed that he had the same concerns.

Zander didn't appear bothered though. He lowered his hand and stepped even closer and leaned over so his face was closer to the Tauran who looked so much like him. "You don't owe anybody anything," he almost whispered. "You know that, right?"

I narrowed my eyes at this and wondered what else Zander had seen inside his head… or is he still attempting to manipulate the Tauran?

The prisoner took a deep breath and looked up so he made eye contact with Zander. His expression was open and almost vulnerable as he tried to search the Knight's face.

Then his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pulled back into a snarl. "I don't owe anything to your kind either."

Quick as lightning, Zander's hand shot up and the Tauran's head was slammed backwards against the metal behind him. He groaned from the physical pain and from Zander undoubtedly diving deeper into his mind.

I never liked watching this part. Instead of allowing the captain to order physical torture, I've condoned Zander to both mentally and psychologically torture him instead.

I began to wonder if reuniting with the light under Kylo's guidance this morning was a mistake. These events weigh heavily on me. If I was still in the same state as yesterday, would I have even batted an eye at what Zander's doing now? Would I feel no compassion at all?

The thought almost scared me.

A hand gently touched my shoulder, and I turned to look at Edith, who was also unmasked. She smiled grimly at me, "He was given the chance to tell us. Zander went easier on him than anyone else he's interrogated. His loss of comfort is the price of not cooperating."

She had a point, of course - Edith was always the voice of reason when everyone else lost sight - but it didn't take away the fact that I was forced into a difficult position. In the heat of battle, it's easy to disregard the value of individual life and rights. I can justify killing people either for the sake of survival, or to serve the religious agenda of the Knights of Ren. However, in situations that I have to stand, watch, and think about what's being done, it is much more hard on my conscience. Especially since I'm not fighting for survival or serving the agenda of the Knights right now.

Surely my discomfort didn't have anything to do with my sensing something significant about him.

Of course, what I'm sensing could be wrong. Whether it's my gut instinct or the Force, I've been failed by both of them before.

It was getting a bit much though, to watch the prisoner writhe and shout while strapped down to the inclined table. I reached up to the earpiece I was wearing to order Zander to let up when I felt the Force spike unexpectedly.

The Tauran's entire body started to spasm and his thrashing became less focused, his head swung erratically.

The captain pressed a button nearby that alerted the medics stationed nearby to come quickly. "I think he's having a seizure," he told them.

"No," I disagreed. "This is something else."

As soon as the episode had started, Zander immediately stopped what he was doing and watched with a puzzled expression. He pressed his earpiece to speak to me. "Uhh, anyone know what's happening?"

I turned ninety degrees to acknowledge the other Knights in the room. "Any guesses to what's going on?"

Jadiel only tilted his head to the side.

Cassius suddenly spoke up. "I don't know, but I can feel the Force circulating in that room," he hesitated. "And that's coming from me. You need to really feel this."

That's worth something, at least. Cassius has the weakest connection to the Force out of all of us. And it sounds easy for him of all people to pick up on it.

I reached out with my feelings and sure enough, the interrogation room on the other side of the wall was nearly bursting at the seams with raw power. It almost brought me to my knees.

That spiking in power that I absently sensed felt like nothing compared to what I was basking in across the window now.

The Lieutenant glanced at me, "Perhaps we need to reconsider the possibility that our new prisoner is Force sensitive?"

Edith suddenly turned to me. "We've seen this before," she exclaimed.

"When?" Idris asked and we all looked at her with interest.

"Remember when Master Kylo touched Vader's helmet for the first time?" she asked. "He collapsed on the ground shaking just like that, and when he woke up, he said he saw a vision in the Force."

"You think this is happening here?" Zander asked. He'd been listening through the earpiece.

"It's very possible," I agreed. "It's the likeliest explanation. We'll wait it out and see what happens when he comes to."

When Luke had taught us about Force visions back at the academy, he spoke of how the person would glaze over, lose focus and fall into something of a trance until the vision was over. The Force sensitive could be seeing hours-worth of visions but in real life, only a few mere seconds would pass during the event.

He never mentioned the possibility of seizure-like symptoms, but we've since learned that such displays of erratic movement was a way of showing just how important and powerful those visions were. And those in question would last much longer than a few seconds.

Without warning, the Tauran's head jerked forward and his eyes flew open. His body went still. He was looking straight at the wall in front of him. It happened to be the secret one-way wall that the rest of us were looking at him through.

But his eyes were locked with mine, like there was nothing between us at all.

Despite myself, my breath halted in my throat and I froze.

I didn't need to wonder if he could see me - the answer was obvious: he couldn't - not physically. The more important question was how he could sense me here. How he knew exactly where my eyes were that he could give me the illusion of eye contact.

Everything was silent and I glanced warily at Jadiel Ren. He was still as a statue and stared straight at the Tauran from next to me. I knew he could feel my own eyes on him and his lack of acknowledgment normally indicates to me that staying the course is wise. I almost commanded Zander to proceed with the interrogation but the silent Knight finally slowly turned in my direction. He took in my appearance for a few tense moments before casting a quick glance at the Tauran again - I knew the strange person was still looking at me.

I waited for Jadiel to make a cutting gesture at the throat to end the interrogation for the time being but he didn't do that either. He studied the prisoner for a moment longer before he turned to me again.

I suddenly understood what he was suggesting.

I exited the room and stepped into the hall outside, leaving my helmet behind. I walked to the next door in the hall and keyed in the code. The door slid open and I stepped inside the interrogation chamber. I politely dismissed Zander and the Knight looked relieved as he picked up his mask and left to reconvene with the others in the hidden room.

I wasn't sure if Jadiel thought I was the better choice of an interrogator because I came off as a more balanced authority figure or if it was simply because he believed that the prisoner would respond better to me in particular. After all, he was looking in my direction behind the one-way mirror.

Either way, I'd give it a try; I trusted Jadiel Ren's judgement. Hopefully this situation can be salvaged. It's usually easier to get progressively meaner rather than to become increasingly more nice.

If I was in his position, this sudden change in tactics would make me suspicious. Honestly, I'd probably double-down on my own resistance and aggression if I were him.

I'll need to take baby steps with him.

I may need to try and undo everything Zander did before I could hope to make progress of my own.

The Tauran's eyes followed me as I stepped closer and came to a stop directly in front of him. Considering his build is only medium and on the more muscular side, he still looked huge compared to me. Reclined back in the interrogation table, his head still came up to the same height as my own. I conjured up a small smile that I knew would help convey a calm and friendly presence - growing up within aristocracy had its uses when it came to appearances and mannerisms, even if it was deception.

His face was void of expression, but his eyes gazed at my own intensely in a way I couldn't identify.

Just who was this person?

I tilted my head and tried to mirror his body as best as I could while maintaining friendly body language. I wasn't trying to mock or annoy him, but I knew at the very least it would pique his curiosity - I could work with something like that.

"Do you know who I am?" I asked in as soft of a voice as I could muster.

Start out light and ease him into this Q and A interrogation. I wouldn't be like Zander and dive headfirst into important questions while expecting immediate results.

It got a reaction from him: the corner of his lips twitched and a subtle glimmer of amusement appeared in his eyes. It wasn't quite what I expected, but I waited patiently for him to reply.

"Alright. I'll bite," his voice was deep, accented like the other Taurans, but his words came out very smooth to contrast Zander's harsher speech. I knew this was going to be a problem the longer time went on, and I had to fight to prevent my mind from wandering and to keep older memories from surfacing.

I'm glad I pulled Zander out when I did. It felt like everything about this person was a mockery to the Second Knight whether it was intended or not.

I'll excuse Zander from his afternoon duties so he can recover from this.

I refocused on the Tauran to find that he was studying me carefully. A trace of arrogance was also beginning to surface as if he believed I was falling for his lady-killer behavior.

"You're the leader of the band of freaks on board this ship, right?"

My smile that almost appeared coy shifted into a humorous one before I could stop it. "For now," I answered vaguely. "I go by the name Solana Ren. The man who spoke to you earlier was Zander Ren: our second Knight." I paused to allow him to process my introduction. "He's rather… temperamental and used to getting what he wants."

"And I suppose you're the polar opposite?" he guessed. His icy eyes were still pricking into me.

"Usually," I smiled kindly at him.

I bet the captain was getting red-faced from impatience. Here I was striking up a casual conversation with the prisoner instead of fishing out useful answers.

At least I managed to get him to talk. I wasn't sure if it was feminine charm or something else, but it's working.

He let out a short bark of laughter. "Someone must have shoved a stick up your ass, given how pissed off you seemed yesterday… and this morning." He almost seemed to smile at a memory. I wouldn't invade the privacy of his head, but I could guess that he was visualizing me back in my lingerie from earlier.

I was more focused on the opening I just found and ignored his crude language. He gave me a chance to guide him into a conversation related to what my captain wants, and I'll get him there.

"While the liaison from yesterday was of no consequence," I waved a hand dismissively and made a face. "Your captain was particularly trying, especially because of his cowardice. No offense to you, of course, but a leader's poor behavior can reflect badly on everyone who work alongside and below him."

His jaw tightened and a muscle ticked in his jaw. "Understandable," he grated out.

I moved to lean against a nearby wall, not too far away from him and took on a relaxed posture. His eyes still followed me. I folded my arms casually. "You don't seem to like your captain anymore than I had."

He said nothing. Although I knew he knew what I was implying: the Tauran military essentially kept him in forced servitude until we took custody of him. Why would he like his own captain when he was part of all that?

So I pursed my lips thoughtfully, as if debating whether I should say what was on my mind or not. Then I allowed a rueful smile to cross my face, "Between the two of us, I'm not fond of my ship's captain either. It's normal."

He was still silent, but looked a bit lost now. He was doing a good job with trying to hide it.

I uncrossed my arms and walked up to him again. I made my face look something akin to vulnerable and worried as I got close. "I apologize but I need to know the answer to this," I looked into his own eyes as if I hoped that it could establish some semblance of connection and trust. "Were you sent on board to assassinate my ship's captain? Or me?"

His expression looked a bit startled at that. I knew the answer was no from that, but we were getting closer to what the captain wanted to know.

He let out something of a nervous laugh, "I'm not an assassin." He looked off to the side for a moment, breaking eye contact for the first time and then looked back at me. "More of a spy, really. I'm sent on the high-risk missions that I'm not expected to come back from."

"When did you board us? Was it during the fight in the hangar bay?"  
A single nod was my answer.

I pursed my lips. "A strategy I likely would have done as well."

Despite the shifting of his expressions, his face still felt unreadable to me. I also refused to jump into his head. He was cooperating and I was willing to go slowly to pull out the answers we wanted.

I always preferred working with people based on trust. It's ironic, given that my common tactics are often to deceive people.

"Camera footage showed that you were at an access panel close to the bridge when you were on board, so you weren't trying to break into the armory." I tilted my head to the side as I studied him. "So if you're a spy, I suppose you were trying to steal data or information of some kind?"

A muscled ticked in his jaw; that's a yes.

I scrutinized him carefully, now completely serious and I spoke sternly, "I'm unaware of anything we might have that your superiors would want or need - nothing interesting, anyway. Is there something you know about us that I don't?"

He shook his head ever so slightly and a quiet, bitter laugh escaped his lips. I think I finally coaxed down most of his barriers. "It's not like that at all. I was sent to do "research" on the First Order, and the rest of your galaxy; try to piece everything together and figure out where you and your presence out here fits in all this."

My eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about?"

His eyes opened again and bore into me. "What I mean is," he leaned forward to emphasize the importance of his words. "I was sent to collect dirt on you and your people, and give the Tauran military a good reason to leave the sidelines and put a stop to your affairs."

"You mean to neutralize this ship and everyone on board?"

"That, and…" he cocked his head to the side and leaned back again. "They're wondering if they need to pay your galaxy a visit."

I was speechless and my mouth gaped open in shock. Would they really have the gall to do that?

"You look more upset than surprised," he observed. His expression was wary, though I wasn't sure if he was worried about me lashing out or concerned for his uncertain future circumstances.

"I should have seen this coming from a mile away," I ran a hand over my head and brushed aside my bangs thoughtfully. "It always turns into this. First it's the businesses lobbying the politicians, and then the politicians do their under-the-table dirty work and corrupt lawmaking. Then they publicly stand on soapboxes to loudly preach the values of freedom and privilege which was originally made to distract the public from their other less-than-savory activities… but of course it turns into something more. Their roots expand and take over like weeds and before you know it, they sic their military on other territories to- to _grace_ the foreigners with a culture and way of life they didn't ask for and _invade_ another sovereignty to fulfill their own ulterior motives-"

The prisoner looked outraged and offended, "Now wait just a minute-"

"Don't even _think_ you can discredit me on that, soldier." I glared at him, "I was raised to play in that sick game."

His eyes narrowed on me and a suspicious look crossed his features. "Who are you?"

"Solana Ren; First Knight under Master Kylo Ren."

"Who _were_ you?"

"Someone weak," I huff. "Nobody of consequence. She's a dead woman." I was lying though my teeth. I knew the other Knights would sense it, but I was counting on this man's lack of training to buy it.

Unfortunately, he looked terribly unconvinced.

"You call yourself Solana Ren, but that's not your true name; it doesn't represent who you're meant to be," he studied me for a moment. "Your previous self is not dead - it's just beginning to stir and awaken again. I saw it."

"What did you see?" I asked him urgently. What was the vision he saw earlier?

But he closed his mouth and simply continued to stare at me like I was a puzzle to solve.

I felt like he was playing a mind game with me now. I clenched my jaw and turned to the one-way mirror where I knew the others were watching from. "Captain," I prompted. "A word in here, if you please."

I didn't have to wait long. He appeared in less than a minute and strode confidently toward the prisoner. He was counting on me to take my leave soon and leave him there to gloat to the Tauran.

Unfortunately, that won't be happening anytime soon.

Perhaps returning to the light has brought out the old me, but I wanted to put on a bit of a spectacle for the Knights' amusement. Zander in particular loved to make fun of my aristocratic ways and I'm certain this could amuse him too.

"Captain, I'm sure there's nothing more you'd want other than to wrap this up yourself," I addressed him.

"I would. If I may, Solana-"

I cut him off, "Unfortunately it won't be happening in this case."

He blinked. "What?"

Even the prisoner looked speechless. I could feel he was also uncertain whether this was good news for him or not. Two can play at mind games.

I could reassure him that in fact it is. However, I didn't see any harm in toying with him a bit more. I'm not a sadist that feeds on fear - not like Cassius or Zander - but there's something about this mischief and his reaction that tickles me a little.

"As you could see from earlier, it's clear that this prisoner is Force Sensitive-"

"So we're expected to give him special treatment?" the captain demanded. He looked outraged. "You have no right. And you certainly can't release him-"

I interrupted him again. "That's not my intention, captain." I looked him in the eye. "I do not challenge the expertise of your soldiers. What I mean is that he falls within the jurisdiction of the Knights. It's been our duty to decide what Force users live or die for nearly the past decade. And I don't want to risk him mind-tricking any Stormtroopers."

Then I glanced at the prisoner again. He looked a little pale, but otherwise had a brave face on.

"He won't be detained here. I'll assign one of the Knights to monitor him at all times," I decided aloud.

The captain's face turned red and I wondered if he'd have an aneurysm. "And let him roam _freely_ about the ship?! Is this some kind of game to you, Solana Ren?" he demanded.

"This is no joke and I'm never one to be wasteful."

Maybe it's the compassion talking, but I felt generous and I turned to the prisoner. "Consider yourself on probation," I said as if it was a congratulations. "And Zander Ren as your parole officer. Starting tomorrow."

Having said all I needed to, I nodded at both men and took my leave.

* * *

 **Inspiration for the interrogation scene with Zander was taken from TFA in both interrogations performed by Kylo. Some performances of cruelty are paralleled as when Poe Dameron had his mind brutally invaded. There was also some deeply personal emotion-reading and invasive manipulation somewhat borrowed from when Kylo had interrogated Rey. Both of those scenes and how they compare/contrast is quite an intrigue. Adam Driver was excellent with micro expressions when with Rey. As he reads more into her, you can see him becoming more fascinated as he discovers a small handful of similarities between them both. I have some plans on how to develop the relationship between Jamie and Zander and given that our Second Knight has some darker tendencies than Kylo, he would naturally be more rough on his victim than his Master would be with Rey.**

 **Students: we're all on the last leg before finals and then we're free for winter break! Stay strong and healthy, you guys. And may the Force be with you.**


	6. Good Morning

**Hey folks! Long time no see. Now that the craziness of Christmas and New Years is behind us, here's a new chapter to reward y'all for surviving thus far. I'm also very pleased with how many views this story is getting over time as well. We're nearing 1000 views!**

 **I realized after writing the first five chapters that I didn't like writing in past tense the entire time, as I planned on incorporating en media res - it only makes sense to write past tense for flashbacks and present tense in the present narrative. So... this will be the first chapter to be written as such and I will continue this way from now on. I'm just too lazy to go back and change the previous chapters. :/**

 **Next chapter should be a little more exciting and the plot will (slowly but surely) gain some momentum after that.**

 **By now, I think you're all familiar with my writing. This chapter is yet another info dump as I tend to be very elaborate in setups because the story is going to get a little more complex later on, and our lovely mood-swinging protagonist is a very reflective person. We'll get to know the other Knights a little better in this one. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Good Morning**

I exit the detention center and stride down the halls. It's not quite time to eat yet, so the Knights have some time to kill. I'm greeted midway to the lift.

Jadiel Ren silently hands me my helmet and I tuck it under my arm. Lieutenant Dan glares at me openly as he stands apart from the group.

Edith grabs a stray lock of hair framing my face and gives it a harsh yank. "Hey, uh, what was that back there?" she demands. Her face is unreadable and I know that she's very confused about my decision.

I belatedly realize that everyone except Jadiel has their faces uncovered. I see each of their expressions. Most are angry or puzzled but surprisingly Zander Ren looks somewhere between resigned and exhausted.

Maybe choosing him was a mistake. I can't figure out why I thought he was a good idea in the first place; it felt partly instinctual and partly based on a hunch. It's like something came over me in that moment, but I try not to dwell on it too much.

Idris clears his throat to try being the voice of reason. "Lu, I don't think pairing the Tauran with Zander will-"

"I know where you're going with that statement," I cut him off gently. "And I promise that I'm not looking at it that way."

The atmosphere eases now that the Knights don't feel as betrayed by my choices.

"But he looks like-" Zander starts.

"I know." I tell him. "This is a very difficult situation and I'd much rather leave the tough decisions up to Master Kylo, but he's not here right now." Besides, Kylo only killed Force sensitives that already had preconceived ideas and philosophies about the Force. Especially people that were stubborn about their Force-related thoughts.

This Tauran has none of that - completely and blissfully unaware about the Force.

"What I do know," I begin carefully. "Is that since this Tauran isn't tainted by Jedi or Sith dogma, Master Kylo would have at least given the man a chance to understand what we believe and what we're here for. To learn about the Force and be given the chance to join us once he shows potential."

"This is risky, Solana," Cassius speaks up. "You're essentially rising to become a master to a student when none of us even know what we're doing!"

"Well, we've been doing okay so far," Edith defends.

"This is different than what we've already been doing," Cassius argues. "On top of us trying to maintain control over ourselves, now we - especially you - will now have to focus on helping another person learn control. It won't be easy and he won't cooperate."

"Not with your attitude, he won't," I retort and fold my arms. "That's not to say you don't have a point."

"So what's your plan?" Edith asks.

"We'll work on the Force with this Tauran later. All I want right now is to gain his trust and eventually his loyalty." I spare a glance at Jadiel but he gives nothing away about his opinion.

That means he's in the same boat as Edith. Neither are vocal about their inner thoughts but are willing to hear me out and let me give my plan a try.

"Do you think you can?" Zander asks quietly. He looks less passionate and more… contemplative. The cogs in his head are turning, and I take this moment to be openly honest with him.

"I hope I can," I answer. "But it won't be easy and it will take time. All of us will need to try as well."

Zander nods slowly. "If you think there's a chance… and that Kylo would have done the same," he pauses to choose his final words carefully. "Then I'm willing to work with him."

I smile gratefully. "That won't be done until tomorrow. For today, we'll focus on the much simpler things. For one," I look around for a clock but find none. "Let's see if breakfast is ready."

"Schedule for today?" Edith prompts me as we all start walking. I can feel Lieutenant Dan glaring at the back of my head.

"Nothing set in stone," I answer back. "Given the unusual circumstances from early morning, everything will be flexible except for mealtimes and training." I look at Zander Ren. "After lunchtime, you can take the rest of the day off to do as you please… as long as you don't terrorize anyone."

Zander gives me a half-hearted smirk and a mocking salute, "Yes, Ma'am."

I slow down my pace just enough so I'm walking behind the rest of the Knights. Lieutenant Dan also slows his pace to walk next to me. I can feel his anger rolling off him in waves.

"I see you've grown more comfortable around me," I observe. "I'm still deciding whether that's a good thing or not."

"I can't believe you decided to do that," he snaps. "There's no reason to like the Taurans and we - including you - have hated them up until this point! Why the sudden change of heart? You don't care about power and I know it's not just to spite the captain."

I hum thoughtfully as I digest his words. "Maybe my attitude is a bit sudden. Nevertheless, I know potential when I see it. I noticed it in you, and I'm seeing it in the Tauran as well." I give him a wry look. "Surely there's a reason you haven't been promoted within the five years of serving aboard the _Genesis_."

I walk a bit faster to fall in step with Zander, but Lieutenant Dan isn't ready to let go. "Listen," he tries to sound demanding but he falters. I'm unsure if that's because he's remembering who he's talking to, or if his mood is swinging into a feeling of helplessness and frustration after everything this morning. "That Tauran broke into my quarters early this morning, tied me up in a humiliating way and almost sent sensitive information to the enemy. I know how I feel being around him. I don't forgive easily."

I stop and turn toward him, and the Knights stop to watch. I walk toward Dan until he's within arm's length. He swallows hard and I watch his Adam's apple bob in nervousness.

I take a deep breath. "I appreciate your honesty, Lieutenant Dan, and I'd like for you to continue that in the future." I lift a finger and hold it in front of his face. "However, you'd better learn how to be civil even with the people you hold in the lowest view; it's a life skill. That said, it's important to gain his trust so we can form an alliance with him as an individual. It won't happen if he senses hostility from another one - even if it's righteous. I sense he's very different than the rest of his kind so it wouldn't be fair to judge him for actions and plans of his peers and elders."

"So what do you want me to do?" he demands.

I purse my lips thoughtfully and I take a moment to study his features. He has soft brown eyes that look darkened from conflict. He's angry, but afraid, anxious, and perhaps looks a bit depressed too. His short brown hair is gelled and neatly combed back, but there's a few loose strands that makes me wonder how many times he ran his hand through it in nervousness.

He even looks a bit paler than normal and is starting to sweat.

I take a few steps back to give him some breathing room. "I promised you I'd help you work on your insecurities, and I'll make good on that. It will include but is not limited to more uncomfortable conversations and sparring in the training room… you'll do it with the Tauran as well."

He looks disturbed. "Talking?"

I shrug. "Well, I'd like your interactions with him to be mostly sparring - at least in the beginning. Talking can come later once we're all settled in a comfortable routine and have a semblance of trust."

He nods slowly and a muscle ticks in his jaw, but he nods again. "Alright," he grinds out. "I can try to work with that."

"Very good," I hold out a hand to him in a silent request. "All I'm asking is that you're willing to try."

He stares at my hand for a few long moments and grasps it to firmly shake once.

I smile tentatively and turn toward the rest of the Knights, most of which look amused from the show we put on. "Come on," I start walking again. "I'm hungry."

Idris and Edith take the lead to the cafeteria this time instead of Zander. They must be famished, and I suspect the earlier events may have ruined the Second Knight's appetite.

I invite Lieutenant Dan to join us for mealtimes from now on but he politely declines. Understandably, he has friends of his own that he routinely eats with.

Each of the Knights except Jadiel set their helmets down at our designated table and then walk toward the line. Edith stands in front of us and Zander and I stand at the back. Normally he'd be first. "Not taking the lead today?" I ask.

He gives me a half-shrug. "I don't care."

"What's on your mind?" I've not seen him so somber since the celebration of his 21st birthday. That was eight years ago.

"Do you think the Force is taunting us?" Zander queries as he grabs trays for of us. "It just feels weird because of the circumstances and this Tauran looks and acts in a way that's…uncomfortably familiar."

I shake my head and accept my tray. "I understand where you're coming from, but I rather see the Force as an aware entity. I don't think it's anything sentient though. The cosmic Force has a certain fluidity - an ebb and flow. It may be an odd coincidence, if anything."

"This is still a cruel setup," he tells me.

I understand in ways he can't fathom. "I can't argue with that."

We grab our breakfast and sit at the table. Jadiel sits at my right and Zander on my left. Edith, Idris and Cassius sit across the table from us.

As I slowly start to eat, it almost feels like a normal morning again. Idris signs into his datapad he carries under his arm and places it between him and Edith. It looks like he's talking to her about math this morning. The Twi'lek looks down at the formulas with undisguised interest while he tells her what the equations are used for and why. "Do you plan to teach her university level math eventually?" I tease.

Idris rolls his eyes. "No, those equations are only theoretical. There's no place for that here - it's useless and does nothing more than melt your brain."

Edith looks fascinated, "Really?"

"No," Idris replies apologetically to her. "And I'm afraid that regardless of my claims, I barely understand the university level of math. I wouldn't be able to teach you it anyway."

"That's alright," she shrugs it off.

Idris continues, "After today we'll go between history and science again. Those are more applicable and I know they're your favorite."

Edith smiles lovingly at him and I force myself to look away. The breakfast table isn't really an appropriate place to get lovey-dovey, but I don't feel in the mood to ruin it today.

Jadiel nudges me with his elbow and I glance at him. His helmet stays on and his food is untouched, as usual. He's looking at me intently and I take a moment to figure out what the mute Knight is trying to ask.

"Oh, you can be dismissed from the table. I'm sorry, I know it's been a weird day," I tell him, but he still doesn't move. I sigh, "It's okay. Really, you don't have to worry."

He sits still for another moment as my words sink in and he eventually nods. Then he proceeds to stand and leave the cafeteria with his food. As usual, he'll go to his quarters to eat in isolation and silence.

"And then there were five," Idris narrates without looking up from the data pad. Cassius rolls his eyes and stuffs his mouth with food.

"Cassius, please." I remind him, "You know table etiquette. A rough morning does not excuse a lack of manners."

Zander's shoulders start shaking with a fit of quiet laughter and he hides his mouth behind a napkin. At least some calories in his belly is helping to boost his mood. Hopefully by tomorrow morning he'll be completely back to normal.

But somehow I find that hope to be futile. I think about the times I was aware of him going through sudden irreversible changes: when he left home to attend Luke's Academy, then when the Academy burned and half the students died. And then again when he swore fealty to the newly named Kylo Ren - when we all pledged allegiance that night.

I shake my head to get rid of those thoughts. It's a train of thought I don't want to go down. One of our own died that same night in the rain.

"Maybe I should ask you if _you're_ okay," Zander speaks up. I swivel my head toward him. "Isn't it your anniversary of…?"

I look back down at my food. My appetite is gone. "I forgot about it."

Bright innocent hazel eyes and smooth, silky chestnut hair. A face covered in freckles but the expression vacant and glassy. A mind someplace far from reality.

"Maybe you should take some time off too, for today," Zander suggests. I notice everyone else pausing to look up as well.

I shake my head, "That won't help anyone, it won't help me."

"You need time to grieve-"

I feel the darkness bleed in from a weak spot and I scowl. "I need you to stop giving me unsolicited advice," I snap.

Zander seems to snap too and glares back at me. "Don't pretend I don't understand," he growls. "It's insulting."

I remember myself and take a deep breath to calm down. I need to regain my sense of calm or this day will not pass well. I look back at Zander. I look in his eyes. The clear grey eyes look stormy with conflict and sadness. In the moment I've forgotten that the memory of his own losses could badly hurt him just as much as my own did to me.

I swallow my pride. As Second Knight, he's well in his right to make suggestions to me. "I'm sorry."

The Knights of Ren rarely apologize. He knows this as well as I do. Zander sighs defeatedly and sets down his fork. He seems to have lost his appetite too.

We warm up in a training room after breakfast. Normally we would meditate beforehand, but there's so much going on today that it's best not to reflect on it with a toxic mind. That means physically venting any and all anger and frustration now so we can collect ourselves calmly later. Zander was right though, there's much I need to reflect on. Selfishly, I'm skipping meditation beforehand for my own sake rather than the others. Nobody questions me when I announce we'll skip pre-training meditation but would do post-training meditation.

We start out warm ups easy. The Knights will do stretching for a good fifteen minutes and move on to some basic kata with and without lightsabers. Then we move straight into sparring.

Cassius causes no trouble as he usually does. I often have to forcefully separate him from his blaster so he can get in some saber practice. He could also use more work honing in on the Force and controlling it. This time he simply unstraps the firearm and sets it off to the side before he unholsters his curved-hilted bronze saber. Idris is also uncharacteristically quiet and makes no wisecracks during sparring.

We divide into our usual preferred groups: Edith against Idris, Jadiel takes on Cassius, and I square off with Zander.

Edith and Idris are bookworms and are very much equal opposites that do well to compliment one another, especially in combat. They're very in tune with each other both in the Force and in sparring. The Twi'lek's twin yellow sabers go well against her partner's double-bladed orange pike. It's a pairing that makes sense, especially after they participated in and completed the Concordance of Fealty ritual years ago with Kylo Ren's blessing. They're now intimately familiar with each other's sabers and do an excellent job challenging one another to improve.

Jadiel fighting Cassius only makes sense in terms of saber combat, which means the two have to avoid tapping into the Force lest Jadiel gets the upper hand. Both of them struggle painfully with lightsabers for different reasons. Cassius grew up in a criminal environment that simply had him rely on his blaster far more. Both Luke and Kylo never succeeded in changing his mind over what's seen as the ideal weapon. Cassius's bronze saber sparks against Jadiel's pure white blade, but both swords are shaking horribly. Cassius is simply weak with the blade and needs practice, but Jadiel is crippled. Jadiel has a longer hilt on his lightsaber to help make up for some of his physical shortcomings.

Zander is more like me out of anyone else in the group: moderately strong in the Force but needs more work in concentration and control. Our true skills lie in swordsmanship. He is very big, very strong, and has a brutal way of fighting - something that hasn't changed since he was younger. I'm shorter, lighter, and faster. It helps me to avoid his powerful blows, but I can only beat him if he can't predict my next moves. He only needs to land a few hits on me to wear me down and beat me for the round. Our fights don't last long if he ends up knowing where I'm going and what I'll do. It takes me a bit longer to beat Zander in a fight because I need to be more strategic to make up for my lack of comparable strength. He's pretty tough and can take a lot more hits than I can.

I insist Zander and I use training sabers with each other rather than our real ones so we don't have to hold back on this occasion. While the other groups stop for acceptable breaks, we keep going until Edith urges us to drink some water.

I gulp down a few mouthfuls and can now feel that I'm soaked in sweat. My arms and shoulders are covered in dark bruises and mild burns from Zander's training sword. My torso and legs ache, but I know I'm not exhausted yet. While the rest of the Knights still rest, I challenge Edith to a match. It's a pleasant change to take on two sabers rather than one this time, plus she's about as fast as me, so I can practice with at a different pace. It sufficiently wears me out more because she also has a habit of dragging things out and playing the long game. Our round ends with one of her sabers held close to the back of my neck with the other poised as if she means to stab my stomach. My own saber is ready to slice through her ribcage but it makes no difference. We're technically at a stalemate and would both be dead. We end the round there.

I chug down a few more mouthfuls of water and then ask for another partner. Edith puts her foot down and insists on moving to meditation next so we don't burn ourselves out. Even if I'm most upset, how can I argue with her? Besides, I know if I don't listen she'll try to knock me into a Force-induced sleep. She's done it before.

I check the time and am not surprised to find that I put off meditation or over half an hour. No wonder Edith seems annoyed. She loves meditation almost as much as she loves learning. Normally I love meditation too but I'm sometimes afraid of how my thoughts may wander this time.

But it seems I truly have exhausted myself from training, so I no longer have much energy I can put into strong feelings of resentment and anguish. We leave the training room to enter a smaller adjoined room with nothing inside but mats on the floor. The temperature in here is just a bit higher than other rooms aboard the _Genesis_. It's meant to help loosen and soothe sore muscles before and after training and allow us to relax for the group meditation. In a normal day we do two group meditations in the morning and in the afternoons we'll have at least one meditation session in the isolation of our rooms. Each method for meditation have their own benefits.

We each take a seat on our mats save for Cassius, who chooses to lay flat on his back for meditation. Edith chooses a mat next to me and speaks before we begin.

"You've acted a bit differently since you went to your room to get dressed this morning," she muses. "Even your Force imprint in the room has been less volatile. You're more light." Her implied question is right there in her observation. She want to know why and how I've suddenly changed.

"I meditated in my room for a few minutes after getting dressed," I explain and pause for a moment to choose my next words carefully. Behavior doesn't have such extreme changes after just one short meditation session. I've been super aggressive for almost the entire past year and suddenly I'm becoming more compassionate and trusting again. "I…also made contact with Master Kylo through the Force."

Even careless Cassius pops an eye open to look at me. I have everyone's attention and their various feelings are palpable now. Curiosity and concern are the strongest of them. Of course, contact between Kylo and us is forbidden, lest we all be punished severely if we're caught. But it's been five years since we've all last spoken with him. They're understandably wondering how he's been and how he's feeling since we left.

"We didn't talk," I continue. "We just kind of connected and could share raw thoughts and emotions. It's how he started to guide me through my meditation."

Everyone is silent, absorbing every bit of information I'm offering up to them. Edith was right, how everyone else misses him terribly but are trying so hard to hide it. Any update on our master's well-being is treasured information. I swallow hard, "He…he misses us, a lot. I could feel he wanted to ask how the rest of you were. Time has done nothing to lessen the amount of care and trust he has in all of us."

"And…how is he?" Edith asks carefully. None of us save for Kylo have undergone formal dark-side training, but we've read about it in ancient texts that have each said different things about the experience. For some, they become corrupted by darkness and turn into power-hungry monsters like the Sith. Others can manage the darkness just fine to wield its useful abilities while dealing with minimal side effects, like the rumored Dark Jedi lost to time.

I think back to my connection with Kylo. I wasn't able to tell what he's been doing to train, but his personality felt very much the same. "He's sad. At least, that's what I think. He mostly projected to me how he misses us. Other than that, he still seems a lot like the man we knew when we left the _Supremacy_."

I feel the relief coming off my fellow Knights in rolling waves. After that, we all go silent and slip into a trance as we connect to the Force ourselves and immerse our consciousness in it.

* * *

"For goodness sake, put some clothes on!" my mother snapped.

I looked down at my off-white attire: a lace camisole and pantalettes. I was barefoot.

I didn't have time to reply before my mother spoke again, "Go to your room and don't come out until you're properly dressed."

I obediently turned and walked through the long hallway to my room while my father came out of his office to placate my mother. "Calm down, Patricia. She's dressed well enough to cover everything that needs to be covered. We're not in public and we have no guests over, this is a safe time for her."

I didn't have to look over my shoulder to know she was glaring daggers at him. "I won't have my daughter exhibiting uncultured behavior, Charbel! And I won't have you condoning any indecent habits!"

She should go throw another uppity garden party with her stolen money instead of bothering me.

"Honey, you know what she wears is a lot more conservative than what other kids her age have, especially in these days-"

I entered my room and closed the door behind me. I leaned against the wood with a sigh and took in the dark emptiness. I had very few belongings that didn't consist of extravagant clothes, schoolbooks, and my bed linens. My mother was confused about my minimalistic nature with material objects, but didn't complain. It meant all the more money was saved.

Besides, none of the fancy dresses in my wardrobe feel like me. They just make me look like what my mother wants me to be.

I pushed off the door and threw myself onto my mattress facedown with a huff. This is no different than any other day, and I knew better than to risk my mother seeing me in my underclothes. They're what I've always felt most comfortable in though.

I heard them arguing in Dad's study about what to do with me once I turned sixteen. They've fought about it before - mother wanted to arrange a marriage for me with another aristocratic boy while my father insisted on letting me choose my own partner when I was a little older.

I lifted my head and looked out the window to gaze at the the meadows, trees, and bodies of water beyond the property. I pulled myself back to my feet and opened the window. As a six-year-old, I was very energetic and could never stay still. I liked to be outside.

Carefully, I threw a leg over the windowsill and reached up to grasp the eave. I pulled myself upward and swung my foot up over the edge. I let go with one hand to plant it firmly on the roof shingles further up. Slowly, I eased the rest of my body on top of the roof and I climbed up to the ridge at the highest point. I sat with my legs resting on either side and my elbows on knees while I looked up to the stars just beginning to peek through the sky.

It was twilight. Although Coruscant had extraordinary sunsets, I always preferred the quiet, natural scenery that Naboo offered here. It's what I considered my true home.

What was left of the day gradually disappeared behind the horizon and I was left looking through the sky for familiar constellations. I wondered what it would be like to take a ship of my own and go out into space without any agenda, and no set destination. I could have my own adventure for once.

"How did you manage to get up here?" I started at a voice and looked over my shoulder.

I instantly relaxed a second later. "Dad," I smiled.

He pulled himself over the edge of the roof and moved over to join me. Even as an older man who didn't do much day by day, he's still miraculously strong and nimble. "I haven't been up here since I was a little boy," he mused.

"What happened to that?" I asked.

"You want the real answer?"

I looked over at him and nodded.

He smiled sadly at me. "I got married. I was a noble from Naboo arranged to marry an aristocrat from Coruscant. I was pushed to become a Senator and then after a handful of years, something wonderful happened that replaced any thoughts of climbing up here to escape."

"What was it?" I asked.

"We had you," he answered easily, like it was obvious. "You and Kira. Both of you are my light." My dad smiled and ruffled my hair.

I pulled away with a laugh.

* * *

 **I'm just curious, who is your favorite Knight so far and why?**


	7. Restless Demons

**Chapter 7 - Restless Demons**

I kneel on the smooth, cold hard floor in the red room. My eyes are fixed on the ground as I fight myself not to look at the figure sitting upon the throne.

"So," Snoke's voice booms. "You made contact with Kylo Ren against my orders."

My heart seizes in panic. It feels like the world is rippling around me.

I gaze down at my hands but I don't see them. "I did."

"Hmmm," he contemplates as I stay still in my crouched position. One wrong move would risk a fight with the praetorian guards. "I wonder how I should punish the two of you. Perhaps your sister would like to decide."

My spine prickles and my hands feel like ice. "She's dead," I reply emptily.

"Is she?" Snoke challenges and I look up. I'm met with the sight of an unfamiliar woman with uncanny hazel eyes and chestnut hair… even the freckles dusting her face. I have no idea who this person is, but it bothers me to see her look so much like my sister.

My mouth drops open in a silent scream as I fully register her standing behind my master. He's on his knees and a blue saber is impaled through his chest from behind. His dead eyes are fixed on me and I jump to my feet. I instinctively reach for my saber hilt that is no longer on my person.

My eyes snap back up from my waist and notice the room has changed. It's darker and the woman is now in front of me. Snoke's throne is at my back and Kylo is no longer with us. This woman cocks her head at me and twirls her blue lightsaber exactly the way Kylo would before she stalks toward me. I'm prey now. Her eyes flash yellow.

Having no other choice, I step back each time she steps forward. "He may have saved your life before, but he cannot now," she speaks in my mother's voice with her familiar Coruscant accent. I feel like I'm going to burst. "Ben Solo is dead." She raises the blue saber to strike me down, so I turn and run.

Snoke's throne is right in front of me but its usual occupant is missing. Laying atop it is a kidney and part of a liver. I try to scream, but my voice doesn't work. My throat burns painfully from the effort.

Suddenly I feel a jolt and I'm awake. I'm on my back and I feel the soft mat underneath me. I fell asleep during meditation? It doesn't seem possible, but what I experienced was… odd. A hallucination?

I've also never experienced a vision before. Is this what they're like? It's not how I would've imagined it.

My eyes snap open and I find Edith obstructing most of my vision as she leans over me with a concerned look on her face. Her lekku tickles my cheek.

I move my head ever so slightly as I take in the rest of the room. The Knights are standing around us in a protective circle and all eyes are on me. Everyone except Jadiel have their lightsabers out in case of a threat.

Did they feel a warning in the Force?

Instinctively, I open my mouth to assure them that I'm okay and we'll end group sessions for the day but I start to gag and cough. My throat feels raw and my voice box doesn't seem to work. What happened?

"Shhhh," Edith places a hand on my shoulder. "You shouldn't talk." and she settles her other hand on my throat to try to heal it.

I have no other choice, so I wait through the next half hour. Once Edith tires herself out, I sit up and then slowly move to stand.

"At ease," I command and wow, my voice is raspy. My throat still hurts, like razor blades. Everyone holsters their lightsabers and I check to make sure I still have mine. "We're all done with group training for today. Go clean up for lunch. Individual training and meditation will be held as usual this afternoon."

I turn and my eyes settle on Zander, "You're off now. Enjoy yourself."

"Take some time off too, boss," Cassius insists.

"For once, I agree with him," Edith takes his side. "As the healer, I insist. You need to rest in the afternoon the heal the damages I couldn't fix."

My eyes are still on Zander and he nods to me. All of them will gang up on me about this. But I feel like I'm missing an important piece of information. I suspect the Knights have an idea what's going on, but they're not telling me.

I relent. "Fine."

Jadiel immediately steps forward and grips my upper arm to lead me from the room. I sway the first few steps and almost trip. He catches me with little effort and still guides me along to the showers.

What happened to me during meditation?

Once we reach the women's entrance, he releases me and I enter without another word. I'm dazed and I can't seem to keep my thoughts focused right now. I robotically strip off my boots, tank top, leggings and underwear before I step under the spray I purposefully keep cold. It wakes me up and I quickly, methodically lather my hair with shampoo and rinse it out. While the conditioner sets in my hair, I soap down my body.

I feel more refreshed and my mind is clear. I rinse off one final time and turn off the water. I wipe off with one towel and wrap it around my body. I wring out my hair and carefully brush the long dark tresses. It's grown out over the last five years and almost reaches my waist. While it's still wet, I rub moisturizing oil on the ends and work myself up the lengths. I wrap it up in a second towel and exit the bathroom holding my dirty clothes.

Jadiel waits outside, holding his dirty uniform and dressed in a fresh one. He smells vaguely like the shampoo I bought as a gift for him when the _Genesis_ last refueled. I hide a smile as I walk past. On the way back to my room, we both tag our dirty clothes with our names and drop them down a wash chute. We continue to my quarters and I press my hand against the biometric scanner. It slides open and I step inside, inviting in Jadiel next. He goes to sit in the center of my room while I proceed to my closet and shut the door behind me. The lights flicker on automatically and I rifle through my clothes for more casual, comfortable attire. The next thing on all our schedules is to eat lunch, and then Zander and I take time off.

I put on a clean bra and underwear. Given that I'm off-duty, I don't see a lot of sense in wearing my usual uniform, so I grab an older comfortable pair of leggings that are, of course, black. Then I pause as I look for at top. I settle for a loose long tunic with quarter length sleeves and a U-neck. It's a lavender color that's vibrant enough to look elegant but not obnoxious. I tug on my black mid-calf boots over a pair of light grey over-the-calf socks, strap a black underbust corset with shoulder straps over the tunic, and some black bracers to complete the outfit.

I exit the closet as I work the laces on my bracers between one hand and my teeth. Jadiel stands up to help me. He hesitates and then peels off his gloves to allow more precision in tying them. His fingers - his whole hands - are gnarled and crooked and the entirety of them are crisscrossed with so many scars from an unspoken past. They shake a bit from tremors, but not to the point that he can't tie the laces tightly and neatly. After he finishes, he starts to pull away, but I turn my hands palm-up in a silent invitation.

Slowly, he rests his hands in my own and I rub my thumbs along the scars on the backs of his. Some of them were from brutal fights and others were from corrective surgery later on. "If they're still alive somewhere," I say to him hoarsely. "I'll find the people that did this to you, and I'll kill them." Just like Kylo did with the man that tortured me.

His hands suddenly clamp down on mine in a hard squeeze and I look up at his helmet. He shakes it once, and that's it. He has no desire for revenge, or even justice. He wants to leave those people behind like the rest of his dark past. I should have expected it, as he's only ever been focused on balancing himself in the Force and watching out for me.

I look back down at his hands as he loosens them. They're shaking more, and I resume stroking the backs with my thumbs soothingly. His visible skin is sickly pale, and the scar tissue is even more so. The veins take up as much surface area of his skin as the scars and gives them an eerie appearance. Before my days at the academy, I would have been terrified to lay eyes on the horrifying images but now it's so normal, and much easier to understand that his looks don't define his character.

It took such a long time to unlearn what my mother ingrained into me.

I slump over as I feel my mind wandering down a path that I really didn't want it to go. I lean against Jadiel and he removes his hands from my own to wrap around my torso, he gently pulls me to the floor and we sit in the embrace.

I miss Kylo Ren. I miss my sister. I miss my father. I miss our Seventh Knight.

I was never raised to properly manage such losses. Such an idea was irrelevant to the agenda my mother had in store for me while growing up. Even years later, thinking about her makes my heart speed up and I can feel adrenaline creeping into my head.

The First Order doesn't have a lot of resources to manage people with such states of mind either. We're just… on our own. We're forced to find a way to manage or bust.

Jadiel senses my distress and runs a hand through my hair soothingly. I fight back a sob and then take three deep long breaths to prevent hyperventilation. I'd been so sure I outgrew the panic attacks associated with my mother, but today has been full of surprises. I close my eyes and lean my head against Jadiel's chest. I want nothing more than to bury myself in the folds of his robes and vanish but like most tempting thoughts, they're not really an option.

"Does it really get easier with time?" I ask my friend wearily.

His hand in my hair slows but doesn't stop. I feel him nod his head sideways in a 'kind of' gesture and then resumes his pace as he smooths down my hair. I sigh against him.

"Maybe it's wrong of me to envy you, but I can't help it sometimes," I admit. "You grew up as an orphan with nothing while I was a noble with seemingly everything. You had so much freedom though, and I had none. All of my choices were made for me."

Jadiel gives nothing away about his thoughts or opinion. He keeps stroking my hair to comfort me. He's only listening to me right now, like nothing else matters in the galaxy.

I appreciate a friend like him, but it's not enough. I hate this. I get episodical every year, on the anniversary of my sister's death. Life had never been fair for her and I never understood why I wouldn't get angry on these days instead of… this.

Instead of getting angry, I become pitiful.

And my weird fever dream makes the day even more stressful.

A finger strokes along my collarbone and I look down questioningly. "Jadiel?" I ask, feeling uncertain.

His other hand reaches out and my bedside drawer opens. Something flies out of it into his outstretched hand and he clasps it around my neck. I realize it's an old locket that my dad had given me after Kira died.

I shook my head. "I don't want-"

His hands come down on my shoulders and he leans around to look at me. He shook his head once. It stays on me.

I sigh in defeat and reach down to weigh the sterling silver pendant in my hand. There was a tree carved decoratively into the circular locket and I flipped it to look at the back. There were beautiful stars engraved into it that I used to admire as a little girl. I used to think it was how stars would look up close when I'd finally go on an adventure.

I'm older and wiser now. Stars are overrated. The necklace is no less pretty though.

I suddenly feel more calm - attuned to the light side in a serene way again. Not quite like when Kylo linked with me this morning, but it makes me feel better.

I kind of feel reconnected to my dad on a spiritually abstract level.

I press the release button on its side and it pops open. Both inner sides have their own tiny pictures: one with my dad and he looks genuinely happy. I remember I had said something funny before I took his picture that day. The other photo is of Kira - an odd one too. It was one of the rare moments that my sister actually appeared aware rather than her usual glassy-eyed self.

I close and let go of the locket to let it rest just below my collarbones. The chain length is just short enough so it shouldn't get in the way if there's a scuffle.

Maybe I can get in the habit of wearing it again.

"Thank you, Jadiel," I tell my friend. He wraps his arms around me from behind and squeezes me in a bear hug. I allow myself to let out a small, light laugh and he lets go.

We both stand up and I check the time. We're due to head for the cafeteria soon. Jadiel pulls on his gloves and I assist him in tucking his sleeves over them. I grab my belt and secure it around my hips and then holster my lightsaber.

I look at our reflection before we head out. I look more like my old self again. Together we look like an odd pair.

Jadiel waits patiently by the door.

I decide to leave my hair down but I grab a tie to wrap around my wrist just in case.

The rest of the Knights are already in the cafeteria when we arrive.

Zander is dressed discreetly in a black long sleeved tunic and trousers with his usual belt and boots. The only thing that gives him away as a Knight is his lightsaber clipped to his waist.

Everyone else is in fresh uniforms and left their helmets at the table. We routinely wait in line for food and then take our usual seats. I excuse Jadiel from the table so he can eat in his room. He nods and takes his leave.

"You're looking much better already!" Edith beams at me while Idris gets ready to quiz her on the math lesson they did this morning.

"Thank you, I'm feeling much better," I reply, and fold a napkin in my lap. My throat still hurts, but it should go away with time.

Zander chuckles. "You look so much like the noble that timidly walked into the academy. The great Solana Ren changes in no way except name!"

"I'm glad you took to wearing that again," Edith points out my necklace.

"I think I've tried to hide from my past long enough. I don't know when I'll turn around to face it again though. It certainly won't be today," I reply quietly.

"I'm sure your father would be proud of you," my friend encourages.

That was definitely the wrong thing to say, and I frown at my food. "He would not be proud of some of the things I've done - that we've all done."

"You'll atone," Edith stays firm. "We've all struggled to find our place in this galaxy, especially you. He would surely understand that."

Maybe, but it's not something I'd want to think too hard about. I don't exactly think my father would be proud of the genocides we've committed.

"Perhaps. Although the good news is we have something new to look forward to." I take another bite of my entree.

"Right. The Tauran," Cassius quips and downs his entire glass of water in only a few gulps.

"We might as well try to use his name," Zander suddenly offers. "It's Jamie Ursa. That would be a major first step in trying to win over his trust."

"Thank you, Zander," I say. I'm not trying to make a big deal, but I feel like Zander is making excellent progress today. At the very least, he's trying not to brood full-time and his helpfulness is something I'm making sure to appreciate.

"So… how do we plan to integrate babysitting _Jamie Ursa_ into our schedule?" Cassius asks.

It's a fair question. I don't take very long to think about it. "I'm unsure of where we'll have him sleep - in a cell or with Zander - but ideally, I'd like to have him with us full-time, including meals, training, and meditation."

"What if he causes a ruckus?" Cassius challenges.

"Zander is his parole officer," I reply. "I expect him to discipline Jamie for minor indiscretions. It would be between the two of us to agree on punishment for more severe infractions. If all of you wouldn't mind, praise and recognition for performing desired behaviors is something I'd like participation in."

Cassius snorts, "Like training a pet."

I frown at him. Somehow I suspect that Cassius will cause more of a ruckus than Jamie will. Our Sixth Knight has always been the biggest troublemaker - even more so than Zander on a bad day.

"That's not too much to ask," Edith immediately jumps to my aid to diffuse the unease before another fight erupts at the table.

Cassius grumbles and stabs at his food, and the table goes silent again. Idris smiles at me and resumes quizzing Edith on math. They're going back over multiplication with large numbers and brushing up on adding and multiplying decimals and fractions. They go over a few subtractions and divisions after that. Idris finishes the lesson by explaining algebra and showing her a few basic examples before he puts his tablet to sleep. Tomorrow they'll go back to history.

Perhaps that's a good thing too, because our special guest is going to be joining us for mealtimes and then some for a while. If he's really an intel guy, he might as well get to know us, our galaxy, and our background a bit.

But there's something else that nags at me. It's odd that we receive a man who looks just like Zander. And later that same day, I receive an odd Force-fueled nightmare featuring traumas from my past, my deepest fears, and a grown-up version of my sister. It can't be a coincidence.

* * *

 **Uh... hey guys. It's me again. This chapter is a bit shorter than the last two, but I still wanted to get something good in after all this time. A lot's happened since my last post that I had to deal with. One of them is that I found out the hard way that I have a generalized seizure disorder. To be honest, it's kind of funny to me even though it shouldn't be. I pop a few pills morning and night, don some cool medical jewelry, and continue like there's nothing different (other than mild brain damage from when I fell and hit my head). I'm a bit slower all around as a person, but hopefully not much else is changed about me.**

 **At least school's done for the academic year. I look forward to having more time to sit down and write. I have a lot planned for this story and I'm really excited to delve into some of the mythology in Star Wars. There are also quite a few characters I'd love to expand on and develop. Some of them we've already seen, and a couple that we haven't yet. Don't worry, there shouldn't be an overwhelming amount of OCs like there were in my first TRON fanfic series (boy, was that a mess... why are people still reading those anyway?).**

 **Also, thanks for the review from last chapter. Jadiel is a lot of fun to write and I can't wait to deepen his character a little bit. I'm a big fan of Transformers, especially the Prime cartoon series (Soundwave is awesome). Transformers is actually a project I would love to write about sometime in the future when I'm done with Star Wars and my next TRON story - stay tuned for that, by the way. I promised I'd post another story soon and I intend to make good on that promise. The narrative should be much more pleasing to read than _The Revolution Begins_ , anyway.**

 **Thanks for sticking around, everyone.**

 **Toodles.**


	8. Keep Your Enemies Closer

**I know, it's been forever. Sorry if parts suck. I just wanted to get it up here for you guys.**

 **It's also become apparent with Episode IX stuff coming out that my Knights of Ren theory wasn't correct, but I hope that doesn't make anyone not want to read this anymore. I suppose time will tell.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Keep Your Enemies Closer**

The next morning, we sat around the table with our trays in front of us. An extra rests in a space between Zander and me. I look up and I see two guards escorting the handcuffed Tauran prisoner toward our table.

"Welcome to breakfast," I stand up to politely greet him. Zander does the same.

Poor Jamie looks confused as the guards remove his cuffs and exit the cafeteria. I gesture to the empty space between Zander and me. "Take a seat, young Tauran."

He silently obeys and his shoulders slouch forward defensively.

I courteously introduce the Knights of Ren to him like a good host would. We aren't barbarians, after all.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself to you as Solana, the First Knight under our Master who, unfortunately, cannot be present at the moment." I gesture to each member as I introduce each. "You've already met Zander, our Second Knight. Over there is Jadiel, our Third Knight, Edith is our Fourth Knight, Idris is our Fifth Knight, and Cassius is the Sixth Knight."

"So, what do I call you guys?"

"As a whole, we're the Knights of Ren. But you only need to call us by our first names. We're not like some uppity officers that are part of the First Order. What would you like us to call you?"

"Soldier or Ursa is fine," he answers shortly. I nod and we let the conversation die.

We all begin to eat silently. This morning we're served an omelette, and I enjoyed the mix of flavors they've thrown together in the kitchen. The egg is cooked thoroughly, but still soft. The two different cheeses inside blend together well, sliced ham and bacon adds saltiness, juiciness, and tenderness. It also incorporates spinach and crunchy, sharp, and sweet bell peppers. It's topped with a few slices of avocado to complete it as a healthy, balanced meal. The First Order kitchen staff doesn't skimp on anything; everyone is kept well fed, and the staff are in turn respected by everyone served. Once in a while, our meals will be served with a cookie or another rare treat.

I pause in moving to take a bite when I notice Cassius is eating more like an animal at the table than a civilized person. I set down my fork tiredly. "Cassius, you have manners. Please use them," I remind him.

He wipes his mouth with a napkin and smiles as he sets down his cutlery, pleased that I've drawn attention to him now. "You know," he says to Jamie as he leans forward. "The only person you need to watch out for around us is Jadiel Ren, the quiet one here," he gestures to the mute Knight.

The Tauran swallows but says nothing.

Cassius smirks even more. "He once assaulted a soldier aboard the _Genesis_ that insulted him. That was two years ago and he's still comatose in the medbay."

It wasn't technically a lie, but the soldier was Section 8 material. Jadiel got involved not because of the insults, but he posed a great danger to everyone aboard the ship.

Whatever, Jamie seems smart. He'll figure out pretty quickly that Cassius likes to spew out nonsense.

Zander snorts and tries to hold in his laughter. He seems to have no intent either of letting Jamie in on the truth yet.

The Tauran clenches his jaw and glances quickly at Jadiel's mask that always stays on. The Knight's arms rest at his sides and he moves very little. His food sits untouched in front of him.

I'll make sure he has time to eat after, but I'd like him present just for this meal. The only other time I don't dismiss him from the table is at our third meal of the day. We all sit together during supper; no exceptions.

"He doesn't look so bad to me," Jamie says slowly.

Cassius leans back with his elbows on the table on each side of his plate, his fingers twined together. His smirk widens still. "Nah, the kid's a beast. It's always the quiet ones you gotta watch out for. He may not look like a lot, but it doesn't take much to get him going."

I start to frown now. Where is Cassius going with this? It takes a lot for Jadiel to become intolerant. He's the most patient person I know.

"Isn't that right, Jadiel?" Cassius leans over and nudges him over and over with his elbow. Jadiel doesn't give Cassius the time of day for a reaction.

Perhaps this annoys him, as the blaster-toting Knight's lip curls. "Then again, I bet the two of you are cut from the same cloth. After all, little Charlie Lennox was the orphan boy that nobody wanted because he'd always get his hands broken in fights-"

Jadiel slams his hands down violently on the table surface and stands up. He sweeps both his and Cassius's trays off the table with his arm. They clatter to the floor in a mess.

His hands are squeezed into tight fists as they shake in anger - and maybe tremors too. We all sit in stunned silence. Eventually Jadiel turns on his heel and leaves without dismissal.

Cassius obviously got more than he bargained for, judging by how slack-jawed he appears. He turns to me in shock. "You're going to just let him get away with that?"

"You had it coming," I said sternly. Jadiel knows better, but he wasn't in the wrong of the situation. I can let go of his justified retaliation. We all know not to talk about his childhood.

But now there's something more pressing. "Do you bother him often, Cassius?" I fold my hands on the table in front of my tray.

Cassius swallows and looks away.

"Well?" Zander then presses. Jadiel is endeared to most of us, and the prospect of him being picked on is not tolerable. Zander, Edith, and I have the largest track records of defending him whenever there's infighting or conflict. Kylo sometimes would get involved too. Jadiel never fights back against peers, choosing to concern himself with looking toward outside conflicts, which he deems as more threatening. It leaves him with some vulnerabilities that is our job as a team to help protect just as Jadiel seeks to protect the group. We're family.

Most of the students from the Skywalker Jedi Academy known for bullying Jadiel are dead. Cassius is the only one still alive, mostly because he's more helpful to the team than a burden and he's still loyal to Kylo… not so much to me though. Once in a while, Zander as my second-in-command has to step up to help keep him in his place.

"Yes," Cassius's response is quiet, but unmistakable. I scold him as I brainstorm on how I should punish for the problematic behavior. That of which is something else I rely on Zander to help me with, since he's the biggest disciplinarian. I worked very hard, but I finally earned his respect and loyalty as a leader. Only occasionally he'll still poke fun at me playfully, but he'll never undermine me.

I feel a gentle probing on my mind and I almost make a signal to tell Zander he can enter my head to privately discuss with me a plan for Cassius, when Jamie distracts us.

His nose is wrinkled as he scowls openly at Cassius. "Asshole," he muttered.

"What was that?" Cassius demanded.

"That was a dick move," Jamie speaks up load and clear enough that his words cannot be mistaken.

I do my best to keep my expression schooled as I watch the exchange.

A First Order staff member from the kitchen comes over hesitantly. "Shall I fetch new trays, Milady?"

"No thank you," I reply politely. "Cassius can manage until the next meal, but it would be great if someone could deliver new food to Jadiel Ren. He'll either be in his room or meditating in the room adjoining the dojo."

I get a nod back, and we're left alone again.

Cassius is livid and I meet his gaze cooly. He can act like an indignant child if he wants, but I will not allow any reward for such behavior.

If Kylo were here, he'd do much worse to discipline our Sixth Knight; our Master had a soft spot for Jadiel, though, he'd never show it.

Zander seems to decide that no breakfast is a suitable punishment this time, because he doesn't try to speak to my mind after I voice my decision.

Idris puts off the history lesson for this meal and whispers chemistry formulas to Edith that I can barely pick up from across the table.

Zander pretends nothing is out of place as he calmly eats his meal. Jamie glares down at his tray as he stabs at his food.

Silence dominates the table for the rest of the meal.

"Your jumpsuit - is it good for strenuous training?" I ask him as we leave the cafeteria. Zander walks on Jamie's other side from me.

Jamie looks down at his unitard and frowns. "I think it should be okay. It's designed for wear in field missions, so training should be easy on it."

Zander snorts. "If you say so."

We enter the training area to find it empty. Usually Jadiel Ren stands at the center of the padded mats in wait for us. As everyone else enters and settles in behind me, I go to check the adjoined room we use for meditation.

Sure enough, our masked Third Knight is sitting on his usual mat. He's still as a statue. An empty tray sits at the far side of the room, out of the way.

There's a pause, and then his mask very slowly tilts upwards so he's looking at me.

He's probably waiting for me to bring up the incident at breakfast, but I know he already wants to be past it. He never likes to focus on the things behind him.

I brace an arm against the doorframe. "You can have time off after lunch, but I'm going to need you for training this morning."

He nods and calmly gets to his feet and walks past me into the larger room with everyone else. As I follow Jadiel, I notice Cassius holding Jamie's firearm and talking to him as well. Zander stands and watches from aside.

My emotions flare up in disapproval as the first thing on my mind is a potential conflict that could come to fruition. I take quick strides as I make my way over the Knights crowded nearby.

"I'll admit. The gun looks pretty cool, but," he trails off with an amused laugh. "It's so primitive. It shoots metal rounds!"

"If it's so primitive, how come all the bullets couldn't be stopped with your magic?" Jamie retorts.

Cassius clenches his jaw and a muscle pops. He looks at me. "Permission to take him to the firing range?"

I raise an eyebrow quizzically and spare a short glance at Jamie. He looks determined as he stares down our Sixth Knight. I level Cassius with a look to convey he has one chance, and I nod my head.

We head to the gun range as Cassius asks Jamie more questions.

"What do you call your gun?"

"It's a Colt 1911 .45 ACP caliber. There's not a lot of handguns that are both reliable and powerful in the field. It fits my hand pretty well, too."

We arrive, and Cassius thrusts a firearm with a similar design into Jamie's hand. "This should be more straightforward than your weird gun. Here's the safety, and here's where you load the plasma bolt cartridge. Have at it."

He steps back and we watch as he takes a stance and fires once. It has very little recoil, but he flinches in surprise. "You guys use lasers?!" His eyes are wide as saucers as he takes a moment to really look over what Cassius gave him.

"Don't think your guns are the best now, do you?" Cassius crosses his arms smugly.

Jamie purses his lips as he looks at another switch on the gun. It's in a spot where it doesn't get flipped by accident.

"Come on, I want to hear you say it. Your people's guns are primitive and weak," Cassius presses.

Without a word, Jamie flips the switch and fires straight at Cassius's torso. The stun bolt knocks him to the ground and his head lolls to the side. He blinks a few times in confusion and his eyes look glazed over.

I continue spectating as Jamie picks up his 1911 and takes his shooting stance again. "Observe," he says to Cassius and he fires rapidly at a target 150 yards away. Shell casings are ejected from the gun each time he fires and litter the floor. He soon comes up empty, and I step forward so I'm next to him. I press a series of buttons into the keypad so we can observe the target he shot at.

I'll admit, it's pretty powerful. Cassius struggles to his feet and Zander roughly grabs his arm to help him up.

I take down the target and hand it to the Sixth Knight. He snatches it from me to look it over. Jamie hit the bullseye until there wasn't a bullseye left. In fact, a good chunk was taken out of it from the rounds.

"Okay, not weak," he grudgingly concedes as he sets it down on a nearby table. "But your gun is very loud. Your ammunition is very limited, and the leftovers make a mess." He gestures to the floor around us to emphasize his point.

Zander steps forward and extends a hand toward Jamie. The Tauran reluctantly turns the safety back on and hands his gun over. His eyes look calculating and I know the cogs in his head are turning over something.

The Second Knight pockets the empty gun and turns to me, waiting for orders.

"Training room," I tell everyone, and I exit the shooting range with everyone else following from behind.

"Can you ask someone to save the shell casings?" Jamie asks. "They're reusable."

I don't spare him a glance as I continue walking. "Ask Zander Ren, Soldier." Then I give him a smirk, "Bonus points for hitting Cassius, though."

And that allows for Jamie to relax a bit more. I know it's wrong to mess around with his head by feigning vulnerability around him, but it can be used as an excellent red herring. Cassius has always had a rough relationship with the rest of us, and he's actually fine with it. In a way, he feeds off of it and we've learned how to handle it accordingly. Sometimes we'll paint Cassius to look like the black sheep in the group and allow others to believe they can potentially exploit it. It's never worked, and we've since learned how to strategically use it to keep track of dissenting members of the First Order, or prisoners of war.

Time will tell if Jamie will try to exploit the "vulnerability," or if he'll choose a different strategy for escape. I know his cooperation is likely his way of biding time to get a layout of the ship, patterns in schedules, and assess weaknesses before he tries attempts anything.

The first thing we start with in training is hand to hand combat. It turns out to be another thing Jamie could best us in other than shooting.

It reminds me that hand to hand is not a skill appreciated by the Knights of Ren because we hardly ever find ourselves in a situation where we need to use it.

If we somehow drop our lightsaber, we often have another Knight to back us up. If not, we can always fall back on using the Force - or in Cassius's case, he'll use his blaster. I suppose it's actually the other way around as his go-to weapon is his blaster and he treats his saber as a second choice, but I digress.

Much like Jamie now, Kylo could throw a mean punch. Even Jadiel taught us a thing or two about street fighting. And despite his pained and crippled hands, he manages to land some good blows. We had the pleasure of learning all of that when Cassius once convinced Kylo to have us practice it. Fortunately for us, only Cassius had been on the receiving end of most of those punches, as Kylo often sparred with him.

And now Cassius can be paired with Jamie for such practice. I'm not quite sure what's gotten into him today as he hasn't behaved this horribly since our early academy days. But either way, it will be good for Jamie to blow off some steam and it will be very satisfying for the rest of us to watch our Sixth Knight get pummeled. Kylo's not around to put Cassius in his place and my methods are unorthodox, but I have no issues with letting Jamie have some fun.

Besides, a part of me suspects that Cassius has some sadomasochistic tendencies. But I would never say it out loud, and I know he'd never admit it whether it's true or not.

Jadiel sits out for most of hand-to-hand exercises while Zander is paired with Idris and I go against Edith. My Twi'lek friend is very hard to hit.

Edith grew up a slave until she reached adolescence and was taken in by Luke. Having had an abusive master, she very quickly learned how to dodge flying objects as well as physical blows. She could make me dizzy easily from dodging without landing a single hit of her own until I've exhausted myself, and then she'll land her first blows. And those tend to end the round. Her tactic works just as well against Zander too, who likes to use brute force in any physical combat.

Neither Idris or Zander learned how to really fight until they went to Luke's academy. Idris came from a middle class family with a rather passive and boring lifestyle. Nothing was truly necessary for him except to do well in academics. Zander on the other hand grew up in a dirt poor but tightly knit family. While he'd been in a few small fights before, he won because he had help - at least that's what I heard from his brother. What Zander learned mostly was to endure and learn to overcome hardships.

I'll give credit to Cassius though. He came from a background that made knowing how to fight a necessity, just like Jadiel. The big thing though is Cassius's family revolved around organized crime. His dad personally taught him how to shoot and how to take hits, as well as how to throw punches of his own. They seemed to have a complicated relationship, from what I could understand. Cassius shouldered high expectations from his dad and rarely received praise for accomplishments, but he still looked up to his father. It shows today that sentiment is something foreign to our Sixth Knight, but he understands the importance of loyalty.

Jadiel was something else though. He grew up as a lone wolf who had to take on the world on a daily basis just to survive. He was friends with no one and trusted no one. I suspect he dealt with a horrible betrayal at some point in his past to make him choose to be alone. Fighting was a way of life for him. He had to fight for food, for water, for shelter, and he had to fight to stop people from injuring him for the fun of it. Looking over his shoulder wherever he went was a constant. He knows all the dirty tricks in the book when it comes to street fighting and I still find myself learning a lot from him.

I never got to learn to fight growing up as it was never seen as a necessary skill for someone of my status. If a noble needed protection, they'd hire a bodyguard. Instead, I went to countless dance schools as I aged. I tried my hand in ballet when I was very little but didn't stay in it for very long. I got to do ribbon dancing for a while too, something that served to help me develop my saber forms elegantly later on. I primarily did aerial silk acrobatics though, and it helps today in terms of flexibility and agility. It certainly helped in some of my Jedi training at Luke's academy after I left home. And thanks to practice with the Knights, I've been learning how to put muscle memory to good use and adapt.

After Jadiel finishes showing me a combat move of his own, I glance over to observe Jamie as he fights Cassius. It's interesting to see someone with formal training go against another with formal training. I'm not sure how long the Tauran had been learning hand-to-hand, but he's really good at it. True to as I predicted, he's been battering Cassius for the better part of the entire session without so much as breaking a sweat. We're all out of practice because of our more intense focus on the Force and lightsaber forms. There's definitely a thing or two we could learn from him, but I also find myself interested in finding out just how much more capable he'd be if he learned the Force - what other things he could learn from us.

He'd make such an excellent ally.

"So, you guys have laser guns, laser swords, and magic powers," Jamie says to me. Training is over for the day and I've relieved Zander of babysitting for a bit. "Any other weird surprises?"

I try to hide my amusement as I look at him. "To know the answer, I'd need to know what you don't know," I pause. "And I'm not getting in your head to find out."

My response surprises him, and it shows. "Why not?" he asks.

This is not a question I feel like answering. I roll my eyes away and I debate if it's worth bullshitting an excuse to leave this conversation or if I should just walk away and try not to care.

He squints at me. "You can't do it, can you?"

I feel the jolt of icy shock shoot down my back. This is not a situation I'm used to being in. It's also dangerous for a prisoner to know any real weaknesses. "What are you talking about? Have you not seen what we're all capable of? Privacy is something highly valued and I would extend it to well behaved people as a reward."

"I'm not assuming there's strictly one reason or another for your decisions," Jamie responds carefully. He has a strange expression on his face like there's more to our conversation than he's saying. It doesn't take Zander's ability to interrogate to know that he has more on his mind.

My eyes snap over to him. For a person in his position, it's a wild move to make assumptions about the Force and one's limits. But he's also not incorrect, so I wonder what else he knows.

Regardless, my first response is damage control.

"I can play mind games on people just fine, Jamie Ursa." I lift one of my gloved hands threateningly. "If you would like me to demonstrate."

He raises up his hands in surrender. "It's not a challenge. I don't doubt the skills you possess."

I frown and lean in closer to him. "You do have something on your mind though. You're planning something."

Jamie laughs in response. "You do know my people are coming back any day to get me, right?"

I examine my nails. "It might be a bit longer than that."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, shortly after we brought you to the interrogation room, we sent a message to the Tauran high command explaining that we have you in custody. We're willing to bargain your release to them if they agree to leave us alone." I rest my chin in my palm while I watch Jamie. "That was a while ago and we haven't heard a peep back from them. So it looks like it'll be some time before you're rescued. You might be with us for quite a while."

* * *

 **Making Jamie squirm is so much fun. I imagine him being a representation of someone from the real world if they were thrown into Star Wars without knowing anything about it first.**

 **I know this one was an info dump, so feel free to leave thoughts, opinions, criticisms, or if something was confusing or didn't make sense. I do look at reviews, even older ones, partly as motivation, but it also helps give me an idea on which direction I should take things next.**

 **Next time I post a chapter, it'll be for that Tron story that I promised everyone many years ago, finally. I'll work on one or the other depending on which one is getting more attention.**

 **See you guys around!**

 **-PBL**


	9. Vicissitude

**This posting time is in honor of my upcoming opportunity to see TRoS in less than 24 hours now. I eagerly await my opportunity to see it as much as any other Star Wars fan. I certainly know by now that my story idea is not going to be canon compliant AT ALL, but I'm entertaining the idea of posting another Knights of Ren story version that is canon compliant... I'm just going to plant the seed though. I won't do it unless I actually get the request for it (and if that's the case, I'll add it to my list of upcoming projects on my profile).**

 **Last notes: This chapter is a bit slow to start in a flashback, but it picks up in the present time by the end of the chapter. Also, TFA has been set in motion inside the galaxy by now, so the next handful of chapters will be taking place during those events and TLJ. I'm on winter break now, so I'll see how fast I can pump out our next chapter, which will have more action.**

 **-PBL**

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - Vicissitude**

I pulled on my canvas lyrical shoes, checked my bun, and took a deep breath. This was it. The audition to get into the art school my mother wanted me to attend. I was very proficient in ribbon dancing, but I wasn't sure if it would be enough to impress the judges. I've been in gymnastics and dance for years, but…

I knew thinking too hard about my performance would increase my chances of screw-ups, so I took more deep breaths, closed my eyes, and when my name was called, I walked onto the mats on stage with my purple and white ribbon in hand. I politely introduced myself and answered their questions carefully while I unraveled my ribbon. I took my time. I gave a good introduction; what mattered next was the performance. As I got into position, I closed my eyes and emptied my mind.

The music started, and the relaxed state - which I've sunk into many times before - made me feel like I was floating when I went through the motions of my dance. My body held abundant energy and I flowed through my routine with it. I spun, I jumped, I rolled and flipped and in between all of that, I waved my ribbon around and around. I created colorful patterns in the air, the illusion was further enriched with how it gradually transitioned from violet to lavender to white as the ribbon extended further from the handle. Several times, I threw it in the air and did a couple of flips, spins, or rolls before I caught it and continued.

Not long into the performance, all awareness of everything taking place ceased. I was completely in my headspace and I felt a charge, an energy. It was so pure and nearly overwhelming. I had no idea what was happening, but it felt so incredible. I didn't have to try hard to show it in my smile.

I heard nothing, saw nothing, smelled nothing, and I tasted nothing, but I felt so much more. Before I knew it, I was in my final pose and the music ended. The judges thanked me and I left the stage.

My headspace still felt a little fuzzy, so I guzzled down some water, changed my shoes, clasped a cape over my shoulders, and stepped outside into the fresh, crisp air to regain my bearings.

I decided to take a walk around the Academy's gardens as I recovered. It felt so rejuvenating to be surrounded with so much life, so much color, so much natural beauty. I admired the neatly pruned trees, bushes, hedges, and flowers - whites, yellows, some blues, violets… and green, lots and lots of green - as I followed along the path.

Life on Naboo was very lovely. It was quiet in the region I grew up in - but then again, my family was privileged and we lived in a neighborhood and community that was full of other wealthy sentients with large plots of land and a successful business or political career.

In the case of my family, we had both - my aristocratic mother represented Coruscant for two terms before she was arranged to marry my father, a noble from Naboo. After she finished her second term, she had two daughters with him: Kira and myself.

My father was pressured to switch from a more local career to larger scale politics as well. It wasn't just because of my mother, though. Many people on Naboo who knew my father knew he would represent our planet well in the galactic senate.

He's since run every time after his term ended. He continued to get reelected, much to his surprise and my mother's pleasure. She liked power, and she liked credits just as much. In politics, there was a lot of both. I grew up resenting it. I instead focused on detaching myself from those concerns and worked hard in my studies, activities, with my friends, and I spent time in between all of that with my younger sister.

I at least knew mother would never enter Kira's bedroom. She saw her as an embarrassment. I was sure she got lonely often though. Besides dad and me, she only had the servants for company. Being around her felt very peaceful and it was easier to slip into that familiar relaxed state. I often found myself doing that a lot around her after a while. During those times it almost felt like we could understand each other. It was surreal. I never did it around my mother though, it somehow made her feel more revolting to be around. I didn't know how to rationalize those thoughts. With Dad, it was comforting as well, but it didn't compare to when I was around my younger sister.

Kira rarely left the house, and she would never have the opportunity to grow up and have a life of her own. She would always need someone to take care of her and she would never be able to represent the family. Without a doubt, that duty fell to me whether I liked it or not. And when Mother and Dad passed, it would be my responsibility to take care of Kira.

"I saw your audition," I was pulled out of my reverie and I turned to see my neighbor and childhood friend, Georgette, as she approached from behind. Her name was odd to say out loud, but I thought it was cute and unique. The pronunciation forced me to go easy on the G's. "You'll make it in for sure. The performance was captivating and the judges were watching you the entire time. They scrambled to write in their notes about everything when you were done."

Really? I glanced at her in interest. "I didn't realize you've taken to exaggeration lately, Georgette."

Georgette smiled. "I'd never seen anything like it."

"Thank you."

"Will you be attending the annual youth ball?" Georgette changed to the real big topic. She lifted a hand to tuck a stray lock of curly blonde hair back into place. It was piled in an elegant updo with a few strands to frame her face. Once we left behind the days of playing in the mud, she never went out without a dress, her hair pinned up, and a fan in hand.

"Without a doubt," I replied. "I just turned sixteen, so that chance will be leapt on by my parents. My mother is looking to arrange a marriage for me with another man of equal or higher status. She's been so bold lately; she reached out to Princess Leia Organa to pressure her into setting something up between her son and me. She did not take kindly to that proposal."

Georgette laughed. "I hope she embarrassed your mother plenty."

"I'm sure the Princess thoroughly chastised her," I replied easily. "She was most upset." Everyone was aware of arranged marriages having been a very old, and outdated custom. Very little value was part of the practice except to have control over family pedigrees and to strategically arrange where the wealth and power goes in marriage and death. Only a minority of people in the galaxy participate.

The system itself was fascinating; women could marry down if the goal was to be the head of the household, though it wasn't common. More often, couples were of equal status or women married to men in higher positions, who would be the head instead. Women that married up or down knew there would be power imbalances, so we were educated at length by moderators of the program about how to negotiate the dynamics when drawing up a marriage contract. That way everyone could have a specific, extensive agreement on everything that was or wasn't okay. Moderators that ran the balls were aware of the chances of domestic abuse later on with some couples, so they were the first ones to get smart about legal language and then teach it. Most of it was strategies to agree on boundaries and ground rules. Some women could demand to establish clauses to terminate the marriage immediately if any of their terms are violated. Men were educated of these same things, and were sometimes known to throw in some surprising terms of their own, often to protect their own autonomies. Not unlike what women did.

The couples of equal status operated differently; the power was split fifty-fifty and the marriage was built more on sharing, negotiation, and compromise. Teamwork had to be a strong skill to make it work best.

Deciding the match was ultimately a decision between the brides, grooms, and their respective parents. Everyone had veto power and the match could only happen if everyone agreed or negotiated a compromise. That took place after the ball, and the extensive paperwork would start. But the ball was open to the public, all classes could be part of it, and the attendees between 16 and 18 would dance together and mingle on their own terms for most of it. That was truly the fun part, aside from the requirement to formulate one's list of suitors while in attendance.

I think I wanted to marry for love. But I didn't know what romantic love was, so who was I to know what was best for me? But I knew I was going to push hard for it if my mother tried to shove a man I didn't want onto me - and thankfully I knew dad would be firmly in my corner on this one.

I loved dad and Kira, but it was a different love. That was a love I had been glad to have while it lasted.

Princess Leia was very different from everyone else in the upper classes, and admirably so. She declared that if her son ever married, it would be to a partner of his choosing and she wouldn't get involved. Besides, he was off-world - he left to attend his uncle's Jedi academy years ago.

We laughed more. "I'll be attending the ball as well, so we can keep each other company until the suitors line up," Georgette said.

"That means you'll stand with me until all the men flock to you and I'll be left by my lonesome," I teased.

"Oh? I had been talking about when you'd get all the men," Georgette replied with a small smile. All joking aside, we knew both of us attracted very particular types. Georgette dressed and acted the part of a very old-fashioned lady whereas I was a little more outspoken and outgoing. My present-time ideals grated on my mother's nerves a lot and she called me too open-minded. Be that as it may, it didn't change the fact that Georgette attracted flirtations from old-fashioned men and I was more approachable to men who preferred modern women. Apples to oranges. We weren't comparable in any way, but we enjoyed pretending we were. It was harmless fun.

Considering both of us were still only teenagers, we were very mature for our age. I always suspected it had something to do with the same reasons philanthropists and other wealthy people would settle here to start families in the first place: the parents wanted to make sure their kids wouldn't grow up spoiled.

Naboo had a custom which made community service mandatory for youths aged 12 to 20. I didn't have a problem with that. I loved giving; the gratitude returned to me felt ten times better than if anything was done for me. Georgette wasn't as sensitive to those feelings and often explained to me that she liked to do enjoyable things for herself after community service to feel good too.

Which reminded me… "Hey, what do you say we complete our community assignments early today? Then we can get can see about visiting that salon, try that laser hair removal treatment." I gestured up and down to the leotard and tights I wore underneath my cloak. "At least then I can say that I shaved for two reasons."

She laughed, "After you, Milady."

* * *

There's an odd tension aboard the _Genesis_ , and I'm not sure why.

We've since had months to fall into a comfortable routine. Officially, Jamie is a prisoner of the First Order, but is in custody of the Knights of Ren due to his Force sensitivity. The captain is still very livid about that decision, but I know it's not a cause for issues. Lieutenant Dan has been introduced to Jamie and vice versa incrementally to see what would happen and I was pleased how much the two men actually have in common as military enthusiasts. At least Jamie has someone to talk to about that stuff now.

We have a fixed routine and way of life with Jamie integrated with it now. The Tauran and Zander are roommates; Jamie isn't ever left by himself unless he's locked in a room - which he's been unbothered with so far. We all wake up, go to breakfast, train, meditate, shower, take an hour of free time, eat lunch, nap, meditate, hold Force practice, meditate, study older texts, and unwind for dinner. Evenings after supper are free chunks in our schedules provided for us to do with as we please.

Jamie has since made training very interesting as well. He makes our numbers odd during practices, so usually somebody either has to sit out or another creative solution is conjured up. Sometimes he, Cassius, and Jadiel go free-for-all in hand-to-hand or with training swords for fun. If Lieutenant Dan joins us during a training session, I'll usually pair him with either Jamie or Cassius. Although I'll occasionally spar with him. I promised I would help in remedying his shy nature. Through training and interactions with the Tauran foreigner, it's safe to say that would be well accomplished. Opening up the group to outsiders in some respects has made us appear less fearsome and more relatable people in the crews' eyes now, and I feel like we're slowly becoming more comfortable together. Like Jamie guessed before, I'm bad at reading minds, but I couldn't help but wonder if there was a chance of gaining the Tauran's trust.

The truth is, I can't pick up thoughts, but I can detect raw feelings and emotion. I would consider it almost something resembling a subtype of empathy that's only possible through the Force. He's turbulent deep inside, but he's operating on the outside like he's calm. The Knights and I chalked it up to him realizing we're not all evil. He's perhaps having a crisis about past views not meshing well with the present views and is trying to sort through the cognitive dissonance.

Several weeks ago, I assigned Lieutenant Dan to watch Jamie so I could sit down for a private meeting with the Knights to decide Jamie's "what-if" options. We concluded that he wouldn't be killed unless necessary and if he renounced his allegiance to the Tauran fleet, he would be trained in the ways of the Force and could join us. Edith and Cassius thought it was a bad idea. That was the first time Edith and Cassius actually agreed on something.

Those who voted against any future authorization for Jamie to join either argued that he couldn't be trusted, or that it's not my place to decide who could join and who couldn't; that's Master Kylo's decision. I opted to table the rest of the discussion for when it would become more relevant in the future. It's still too early to decide and I would never make a decision solo on behalf of Kylo - in his absence we tend to be more democratic. My decisions have to be supported by at least a couple of the Knights.

Thankfully the Knights don't dwell on disagreements, so no relationships are damaged. But I'm not worried about that. There's still something weird between us Knights and the senior command in the bridge of the ship. Zander confirmed to me a few days ago that it had nothing to do with Jamie, but he couldn't probe deeper without being noticed or felt. The captain has also looked more stressed lately.

We concluded that it may be related to his frustrations with us and how we're handling the Tauran. The Knights basically lit the First Order policy book on fire with everything we've done.

"-These old pages I think are lost entries in the _Book of Sith_." I'm pulled out of my musings when I start to hear more of Idris and Edith's breakfast conversation. Jamie also looks interested. "They even contain bits and pieces of a journal belonging to Darth Malgus, a Sith Lord from the Old Sith Empire… he also happened to have a Twi'Lek girlfriend," he smiles impishly at Edith.

She looks playfully unamused and slaps his shoulder. "No, he did not."

"He did. It says it here. Her name was Eleena Daru." That catches her attention and she leans in to look closer at the lines.

"Huh, I guess you're right. Says here she died shortly after the sacking of the Coruscant Jedi Temple."

Idris matches Edith's energy, "The loss of her life and company was so painful for Malgus that he says he channeled that pain to feed his connection to the Force. To make him Darker. More powerful. And he would no longer have a weakness his enemies could exploit."

Edith smirks at Idris. "You fall on the dark grey side of the Force," she purrs at him. "Would you become darker if something happened to me?"

Idris groans, "You bet I would."

"Ugh, get a room you two!" Cassius gags. "We don't need to listen to your dirty talk."

Edith blushes and returns to the text. "I don't think she was his girlfriend. It says she was a slave, though he does admit he cared quite a bit about her."

"A slave?" Jamie looks shocked. "How long has slavery been happening in your galaxy?"

"Since forever," Edith snips. "And it'll exist everywhere, no matter where you go, no matter what you try to do. So don't look too surprised. Your own people made a slave out of you. It's all right under your nose."

"I'm not a slave. How am I supposed to believe you're not just trying to downplay slavery?" Jamie challenges.

"Because I was a slave," Edith says calmly before she returns to the texts. "Believe me, I know slavery when I see it. You were exploited illegally by your own kind for extra labor without compensation, for no reason."

Jamie seems at a loss for words after that. He changes the subject. "So, what's all this dark side, light-side, and grey stuff? I've heard you guys talking about it for weeks now, and I know it's related to your magical powers, but I don't get how."

I share looks with Idris and Edith before we look back at Jamie. "You're in for a long lecture if you want to understand the full context of the Force."

Idris goes into full tutor-mode now, "It's an energy that binds all living things together, and it works in different ways, like on a spectrum. There's certain events, occurrences and powers associated with the light and the dark, respectively. The grey path is about finding moderation between the two, but that's not to say that focusing or specializing in one or the other is entirely bad, either," he shrugs. "It's all a balancing act."

Jamie's face remains blank. "I have no idea what you just said."

"Probably for the best," Edith replies easily. "Just because you have the Force doesn't mean you need to use it."

"Where do I fall on that spectrum with my Force?" Jamie asks.

"You've not grown into your power," Zander says now. "Your signature comes off as clouded as a result. You generally fall in the middle."

"I still don't understand," Jamie says lowly.

"To be fair," Edith drawls. "We are a bunch of heathens and apostates with how we take the unconventional approach to Force studies and practices. A classic Jedi and Sith Lord wouldn't understand our ideas very well either."

"And what would that be?"

"The Force is an energy that's indifferent to conventional morality. At the end of the day it's neither dark nor light. Although in terms of history the dark side tends to have represented passion, change and progress whereas the light was about serenity, order, and constancy - some could argue simplicity. Jedi and Sith religions have tried to fit them into simple categories of good and bad, or useful versus taboo. It simply doesn't work and has led to many problems. You need both to improve life or to keep its quality high."

Jamie points at Edith as he looks at Idris. "She makes a better teacher than you."

"Student becomes the teacher," Edith smirks again at her boyfriend.

As they continue talking, I'm reaching out into the atmosphere of the cafeteria to see how it feels. That tension I've continually sensed aboard the ship all seem to be coming from superior officers and others that work on the bridge. Everyone else that serve aboard the _Genesis_ are perfectly normal. "I still don't understand why the captain and his men are so on edge lately," I confide to Zander.

"Maybe because my people are coming to rescue me soon," Jamie interjects cheekily.

"Your people still haven't replied to the first transmission we sent them post-battle," I reply back tiredly. Or the other five transmissions, as a matter of fact.

Suddenly, the ship's alarms go off. We Knights grab our helmets and quickly stride to the bridge to find out what's going on. Jamie follows us silently, but I feel an anxious energy about him. He doesn't seem to know what's going on, but I can tell he's ready to get violent if necessary. I adjust my bun and slide my helmet over my head. Then I pull up my hood and check my gloves and weapons as the lift ascends. The rest of the Knights do the same.

Lieutenant Dan is there to greet us just as the doors open. "It's not good, Solana. We have some trouble ahead of us," he informs me as we walk from the lift over to the set of windows. Dan points to Jamie, "He can't be up here." Well, I'd be glad the Lieutenant has more of a backbone if he wasn't being a thorn in my side right now.

"I think we can make an exception. It's an emergency," I have bigger priorities than worrying about a spy who has little valuable intel to report to the enemy other than the monotonous schedules that come with being around the Knights.

"That's really not a good idea," I hear the protest and once I get closer, I realize why.

The Tauran Capital ship is back. And it brought two more Capital ships with.


	10. NOT A CHAPTER

Okay, guys. In light of TRoS and everyone's reaction to it (including my own), I'm thinking about proceeding with a slightly more canon Knights of Ren story with slightly less creative intervention from me in terms of story plot, but I would give it a fix-it ending for all those who were dissatisfied and wanted a better Reylo ending.

That's an option. Otherwise I can continue with my original plan which is absolutely not canon-compliant. **Spoiler:** It would still have a redemption and HEA for Kylo and Rey.

I'm posting the poll at the top of my profile page. I'll include an option for both if you guys want, but one will be voted to be written first.

I will give this poll 2 weeks and we'll see what happens (unless I receive a sheer amount of votes for any one category... then I'll close it early and resume writing). The crossroads for where we go between the two stories are kind of right here, so...

Let me know what you guys think!

-PBL


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